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Copyriglit  1S78,  by  F.  A.  Barnard,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


Printed  and  Bound  by 
J  ..,S  .MORGAN  &  CO., 
Cincinnati. 


STEREOTYI'El)  AT 
ER.ANKLIN  TYPE  FOUNDRY, 
CINCINNATI. 


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THE 


FIFTH  CONGRESSIONAL  DISTRICT. 


CELEY,  HEALY  CADY,  Lawyer,  of  Grand 
flaven,  was  born  in  Stowe,  Lamoille  County, 
Vermont,  March  i6,  1836,  and  was  the  son  of 
George  and  Eluta  Akeley.  After  receiving  an  elemen¬ 
tary  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Stowe,  he  was 
carefully  instructed  in  the  ancient  languages  and  mathe¬ 
matics  in  the  academy  at  Barre,  Vermont.  In  the  latter 
he  was  especially  proficient,  surpassing  all  his  competi¬ 
tors.  He  then  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  the  firm  of  Dillingham  &  Durant,  at  Waterbury,  Ver¬ 
mont,  and  carried  on  a  thorough  course  of  reading  at  the 
law  school  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York.  In  the  winter 
of  the  following  year,  he  began  practice  in  Greensbor- 
ough,  Vermont.  Becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  locality, 
he  removed  to  Michigan,  in  the  fall  of  1858,  and  prac¬ 
ticed  his  profession  in  the  city  of  Grand  Haven,  where 
he  stands  high  at  the  bar,  and  has  an  extensive  business. 
He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Circuit  Court 
Commissioner,  and  held  the  offices  two  years.  In  1861 
he  was  appointed  Deputy  Collector  of  Customs.  In 
October,  1863,  he  enlisted  in  the  2d  Michigan  Cavalry, 
which  had  already  performed  two  years’  gallant  fighting. 
He  joined  the  regiment  soon  after;  and,  in  March,  1865, 
was  appointed  Adjutant.  He  was  promoted  to  Captain 
in  August,  and  mustered  out  in  September  of  the  same 
year.  In  1866  he  was  appointed  Collector  of  Customs 
for  the  District  of  Michigan,  the  duties  of  which  office 
he  faithfully  discharged.  In  1872  he  entered  into  part¬ 
nership  with  Charles  Boyden,  and  they  now  have  one  of 
the  largest  shingle  manufactories  in  the  world.  He  is 
also  a  silent  partner  in  the  firm  of  Harris  Brothers,  mer¬ 
chants,  in  Grand  Haven.  In  June,  1859,  he  was  married 
to  Anna  Murray,  who  died  in  1868.  August  10,  1869,  he 
was  married  to  Henrietta  E.  Smith.  Mr.  Akeley  early 
entered  upon  a  religious  life.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub¬ 
lican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity.  He 


56 


possesses  a  clear  intellect,  and  is  excellent  authority  upon 
fine  points  of  law.  He  has  amassed  his  present  wealth, 
and  obtained  a  high  reputation  as  a  self-made  man,  by 
his  great  industry  and  upright  life. 


tLBEE,  CLARK  B.,  late  of  Grand  Haven,  Michi¬ 
gan,  was  born  at  Highgate,  Franklin  County, 
A  Vermont,  July  10,  1811.  His  early  educational 
advantages  were  limited.  As  soon  as  he  became  of  age, 
he  determined  to  see  something  of  the  world,  and  went 
to  Michigan;  where,  for  a  year,  he  was  employed  as  a 
teacher.  In  1835  sought  more  profitable  employment, 
and  found  a  position  with  Daniel  Carver,  of  Chicago. 
In  1836  he  went  to  Grand  Haven  as  agent  for  Mr.  Carver 
in  the  forwarding  and  commission  business.  Two  years 
later,  he  severed  his  connection  with  Mr.  Carver,  and 
opened  a  general  store  at  Grand  Haven,  which  was  at 
that  time  an  Indian  trading  post.  He  added,  success¬ 
ively,  a  boot  and  shoe  store,  a  tannery,  a  hotel,  and  a 
lumber  establishment.  During  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Albee 
was  appointed  Draft  Commissioner,  and,  when  heads  of 
families  were  drafted,  was  active  in  helping  them  to 
secure  substitutes.  He  was  originally  a  Whig,  and,  upon 
the  formation  of  the  Republican  party,  became  its  earnest 
supporter.  He  had  a  strong  sense  of  right  and  justice. 
Party  loyalty  never  blinded  him  to  weakness  or  fault. 
Those  who  held  responsible  official  positions  seldom  sat¬ 
isfied  his  high  ideal,  but  he  learned  to  throw  the  mantle 
of  charity  over  their  errors.  In  early  life  he  was  a  char¬ 
ter  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows, 
and  filled,  successively,  all  the  positions  in  the  subordi¬ 
nate  lodge.  The  multiplicity  of  his  business  care.s,  in 
later  years,  induced  him  to  withdraw  gradually  from 
active  connection  with  the  order.  He  had  a  warm  heart 


2 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


for  humanity,  and  was  particularly  tender  of  the  interests 
of  little  children.  In  his  religious  views,  he  was  unsec¬ 
tarian.  He  did  not  anticipate  the  near  approach  of 
death,  but  was  struck  down  while  pursuing  his  usual 
business.  He  lingered,  unconscious,  a  few  hours,  and  on 
Friday,  January  30,  1874,  quietly  breathed  his  last.  Plis 
death  was  a  loss  to  the  people  of  Western  Michigan. 
Plis  long  residence  among  them,  his  large  intelligence, 
his  sterling  integrity  of  character,  his  practical  views  of 
the  duties  of  life,  and  earnestness  in  their  performance, 
made  him  a  living  power,  whose  removal  caused  a  va¬ 
cancy  that  cannot  be  filled.  He  was  manned  three  times. 


NDERSON,  GEORGE  PL,  Gun  Plain,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  County,  New  York,  October  22, 
1827.  His  father,  John,  and  his  mother,  Laura 
Anderson,  were  natives  of  the  same  place.  In  1834  they 
removed  to  the  Territory  of  Michigan^  and  settled  in 
Gun  Plain,  Allegan  County.  Here  Mr.  Anderson  was 
chosen  Associate  Judge,  and  filled  the  position  for  sev¬ 
eral  years.  He  was  Postmaster  for  eighteen  years,  and 
filled  many  other  town  offices.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  Mr.  George  Anderson,  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Gun  Plain,  the  high  school  at  Kalamazoo,  and 
spent  several  terms  at  Olivet  College,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  teaching.  In  1852  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Woodhawes,  daughter  of  William  II.  Wood- 
hawes,  founder  of  the  village  of  Plainwell.  In  October, 
of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Anderson  and  his  wife  embarked 
in  the  ship  “Clipper,”  at  New  York,  for  California. 
They  went  by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  the  passage  occupying 
about  five  months.  When  rounding  the  cape,  they  were 
struck  by  a  severe  gale,  which  drove  the  ship  south  for 
twenty-eight  days;  during  the  latter  part  of  the  time,  the 
sun  was  visible  twenty-two  hours  of  each  day,  enabling 
the  passengers  to  read  by  daylight  the  whole  twenty-four 
hours.  They  arrived  in  San  Francisco  in  March,  1853, 
when  Mr.  Anderson  commenced  raising  stock  on  a  ranch 
thirty  miles  south  of  the  city.  He  afterwards  carried  on 
a  dairy  camp  near  the  city,  which  proved  very  remunera¬ 
tive;  as,  for  several  years,  he  received  a  dollar  a  gallon 
for  milk,  a  dollar  a  pound  for  butter,  and  a  dollar  a  dozen 
for,  eggs.  In  1859  he  returned  to  Michigan,  with  his 
wife  and  four  children,  making  the  trip,  by  way  of  the 
Isthmus,  to  New  York  in  twenty-two  days.  In  Michi¬ 
gan  Mr.  Anderson  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business, 
increasing  his  capital  until  1866,  when  he  retired.  Since 
that  time  he  has  been  occupied  in  the  oversight  of  his 
farm  near  the  village,  and  has  lived  a  comparatively 
retired  life.  He  has  been  largely  identified  with  the 
public  interests  of  the  town,  especially  the  advancement 
of  education  and  morality.  His  son,  Edward  I.,  is  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  and  bids  fair  to  make  him¬ 


self  proficient  in  that  profession.  Mr.  Anderson  joined 
the  society  of  Odd-Fellows  in  1866,  and  belongs  to  the 
Encampment.  He  contributed  largely  to  the  building 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  member  and  lib¬ 
eral  supporter.  He  adheres  tenaciously  to  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party.  Mr.  Anderson  is  genial  in 
manner,  and  makes  strong  friends. 


-<o»- 


tNGELL,  WILLIAM  N.,  of  Tallmadge,  Ottawa 
County,  Michigan,  was  born  December  16,  1825, 
''at  Chazy,  Clinton  County,  New  York.  His 
father’s  ancestry  were  early  settlers  in  Providence,  Rhode 
Island.  His  father,  a  native  of  Champlain,  settled  in 
Chazy  when  the  country  was  new.  In  1835  removed 
to  Portage  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  Angell  received  a  com¬ 
mon-school  education,  and  spent  two  years  at  an  academy 
at  Twinsburgh,  Ohio,  kept  by  Rev.  Samuel  Bissell.  In 
1843  he  went  to  Tallmadge,  Ottawa  County,  Michigan, 
where  he  had  been  preceded  by  his  father’s  family,  and 
was  engaged  in  teaching,  and  clearing  a  new  timber-land 
farm.  In  November,  1848,  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  Register  of  Deeds  of  Ottawa  County,  and  was  twice 
re-elected.  In  1851  he  assisted  John  Barns  in  starting 
the  first  English  newspaper  published  in  that  county, 
becoming  assistant  editor  and  part  proprietor  of  that 
journal.  He  has  voted  with  the  Democratic  party  since 
1848,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
the  city  of  Grand  Haven  most  of  the  time  since  1867. 
He  joined  the  Odd-Fellows  in  1851;  has  repeatedly  filled 
the  highest  offices,  and  has  several  times  represented  his 
lodge  in  the  grand  body  of  the  State.  He  was  educated 
a  Methodist,  but  is  now  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Angell  married,  June  26,  1853,  Ann  M. 
Evarts,  of  Grand  Rapids.  They  have  four  children. 

- - 

RAILEY,  SLUMAN  S.,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born 
in  Niagara  County,  New  York,  December  14,  1821. 
His  father,  Joseph  S.  Bailey,  and  his  mother, 
Sophia  Dennison,  were  married  in  1819.  They  emigrated 
from  Rutland,  Vermont,  and  were  among  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Western  New  York.  Their  family  consists  of 
nine  children, — three  daughters  and  six  sons, —  of  which 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  eldest.  Pie  attended  the 
district  school  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  en¬ 
tered  Yates  Academy,  and  remained  two  years,  preparing 
for  college.  About  this  time  his  health  compelled  him 
to  relinquish  study,  and  seek  some  out-of-door  employ¬ 
ment.  He  accordingly  worked  on  his  father’s  farm  for  two 
years,  during  which  time  (on  the  30th  of  October,  1844), 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Delia  G.  Starbuck,  daughter  of 


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3 


Isaac  and  Rebecca  Starbuck,  who  were  well  known  in 
Western  New  York  as  prominent  members  of  the  Society 
of  Friends.  In  October,  1846, _  Mr.  Bailey  started  West 
with  his  family,  taking  a  team,  and  covered  wagon  con¬ 
taining  such  goods  as  were  necessary.  They  traveled  from 
Buffalo  to  Detroit  by  water,  making  the  remainder  of  the 
journey  by  wagon,  until  they  arrived  at  Paris,  Michigan. 
Mr.  Bailey  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
wild  land,  heavily  timbered,  and  at  once  commenced  the 
building  of  a  house,  into  which  he  moved  before  the  roof 
was  finished.  He  cleared  ninety  acres  of  his  land,  and 
was  soon  comfortably  settled  on  as  nice  a  farm  as  any  in 
the  neighborhood.  Here  he  lived  fourteen  years,  making 
various  improvements  on  the  place.  In  the  fall  of  i860 
he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Kent  County,  and  removed  to 
Grand  Rapids,  leaving  his  farm  under  the  management 
of  a  competent  overseer.  He  served  in  this  capacity  for 
two  years,  when,  his  term  of  office  expiring,  he  was 
re-elected.  The  law  provides  that  no  man  shall  hold  the 
office  of  Sheriff  for  more  than  two  terms  consecutively, 
and  Mr.  Bailey  acted  as  Revenue  Inspector  for  two  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  again  elected  Sheriff. 
During  this  term,  he  was,  without  his  knowledge,  ap¬ 
pointed,  by  President  Johnson,  Collector  of  Internal 
Revenue  for  the  Fourth  District  of  Michigan.  After  the 
inauguration  of  President  Grant,  he  was  re-appointed  to 
the  same  position.  Mr.  Bailey  has  performed  the  duties 
of  this  office,  which  he  has  held  for  ten  years,  with  entire 
satisfaction  to  the  public.  Before  his  removal  to  Grand 
Rapids,  he  acted  as  School  Inspector  for  several  years; 
Justice  of  the  Peace  four  years,  and  Supervisor  for  seven 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Kent  County 
Agricultural  Society,  of  which  he  was  President  one  year, 
and  Secretary  several  years.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society 
for  six  years.  Mr.  Bailey  has  a  family  of  three  children, 
two  daughters  and  one  son ;  his  youngest  son,  Charles  W., 
having  died  in  August,  1867.  The  eldest  son,  Herman  S., 
married  Miss  Della  Waterman,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  has 
been  Deputy  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  for  three 
years.  His  two  daughters,  Alice  S.  and  Clara  B.,  are  living 
at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  were  mainly  instrumental 
in  organizing  and  sustaining  a  Congregational  Church  in 
Paris,  Michigan ;  and,  with  their  two  daughters,  are  active 
workers  in  the  Congregational  Church  at  Grand  Rapids. 
Mr.  Bailey  has  always  taken  a  great  interest  in  temper¬ 
ance,  religion  and  political  matters.  As  a  Christian 
gentleman,  he  has  gained  the  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 
As  Sheriff  of  Kent  County,  he  was  very  successful,  having 
peculiar  faculties  for  bringing  criminals  to  justice,  con¬ 
victing  them  when  nearly  all  present  were  confident  they 
were  innocent.  Numerous  incidents  could  be  related  of 
this  peculiar  power  and  its  success,  which,  if  properly 
written,  would  compose  a  volume.  But  few  men  possess 
those  faculties  which  make  a  uniformly  successful  civil 


officer;  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  truly  remarkable 
as  one  of  the  most  successful,  without  having  at  any  time 
sacrificed  his  own  sense  of  morality  and  self-respect.  Mr. 
Bailey  is  still  largely  engagetl  in  agriculture  on  his  farms 
near  the  city;  and,  while  devoting  his  attention  daily  to 
the  business  of  his  Government  office,  regards  it  as  but  a 
part  of  his  life-labor. 

- 

^f^ALL,  JOHN,  Lawyer,  Grand  Rapids,  is  a  native 
of  Hebron,  Grafton  County,  New  Plampshire, 
where  he  was  born  on  the  12th  day  of  Novem¬ 
ber,  1794.  His  father,  Nathaniel  Ball,  and  mother, 
Sarah  Nevins,  were  born  at  Hollis,  New  Hampshire; 
his  mother  being  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Nevins,  of  Han¬ 
over,  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  Ball,  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
having  been  deprived  up  to  that  time  of  any  but  the 
most  rudimental  education,  left  home;  and,  by  the  most 
energetic  exertions  and  self-denial,  pursued  his  academic 
studies  at  Salisbury,  and  elsewhere  in  New  Hampshire. 
By  teaching  school  a  portion  of  the  year  to  defray  his 
expenses,  he  was  enabled  to  enter  Dartmouth  College, 
where  he  graduated  in  1820.  Immediately  afterward,  he 
went  to  Lansingburg,  New  York,  and  began  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  Walbridge  &  Lansing,  teaching 
school  a  portion  of  the  time  in  order  to  pay  his  expenses. 
Here  he  remained  about  two  years,  when,  wishing  to  see 
more  of  the  world,  he  went  to  New  York,  and  sailed  for 
Darien,  Georgia.  On  the  way  the  schooner  was  over¬ 
taken  by  a  severe  storm,  and  stranded  on  a  sand-bar, 
about  four  miles  from  the  island  of  Sappalo,  on  the 
Georgian  coast.  The  schooner  went  to  pieces,  but  with 
the  aid  of  rafts,  and  the  life-boat  of  a  vessel  which  had 
come  to  the  rescue,  all  on  board,  with  the  exception  of 
one  person,  were  saved.  Mr.  Ball  arrived  at  Darien  in 
a  few  days,  and  remained  there  about  five  months,  teach¬ 
ing  school  during  the  time.  He  then  returned  to  Lan¬ 
singburg,,  where  he  resumed  the  study  of  law;  and,  in 
1824,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Subsequently  becom¬ 
ing  the  partner  of  Walter  Raleigh,  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Lansingburg.  In  a  year 
this  partnership  was  dissolved,  and  he  formed  another 
with  his  old  tutor,  Jacob  C.  Lansing,  which  partnership 
continued  one  year,  when  Mr.  Ball,  being  elected  Jus¬ 
tice  of  the  Peace,  pursued  his  practice  alone.  In  this 
office  he  remained  two  years,  when  his  brother-in-law, 
William  Powers,  having  been  accidentally  burned  to 
death  in  his  oil-cloth  factory, — which  had  just  been  built 
at  Lansingburg, — Mr.  Ball  felt  constrained  to  give  up  his 
own  business  and  attend  to  that  of  his  widowed  sister, 
who  was  left  with  two  young  children.  He  accordingly 
took  charge  of  the  oil-cloth  manufacturing  business,  and 
carried  it  on  in  behalf  of  his  sister  so  successfully  that, 
at  the  end  of  two  years  and  a  half,  all  debts  were  paid, 


4 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


and  the  business  was  placed  in  a  flourishing  condition, 
in  which  it  still  continues,  under  the  name  of  the  widow 
and  her  sons.  On  the  ist  of  January,  1832,  Mr.  Ball  left 
Lansingburg  with  the  intention  of  going  in  the  spring  to 
Oregon,  by  the  overland  route.  Having  spent  the  win¬ 
ter  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and  Washing¬ 
ton,  he  joined  a  party  at  Baltimore,  and  they  traveled 
westward,  reaching  the  western  part  of  Missouri  in  May. 
Here  his  party,  which  consisted  of  twelve  men,  united 
with  a  mountain  trading  and  trapping  party,  on  its  way 
to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  whole  company  consisting 
of  eighty  men,  and  three  hundred  horses  and  mules. 
They  traveled  together  for  about  four  months,  subsisting 
most  of  the  time  on  buffalo  meat,  when  Mr.  Ball’s  party 
separated  from  the  traders,  and  took  a  direct  route  for 
Fort  Walla  Walla.  Traveling  on  the  Lewis  River,- — one 
of  the  largest  branches  of  the  Columbia, — they  subsisted 
entirely  on  salmon,  which  constituted  the  food  of  the 
Indians  of  that  country,  who  cheerfully  furnished  them 
with  a  bountiful  supply  of  their  best  fish,  and  treated 
them  with  great  kindne.ss  during  their  travels  through 
the  country.  The  party,  after  passing  from  among  the 
Indians,  had  to  subsist  on  the  meat  of  their  horses,  until 
they  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla,  six  weeks  later.  Here 
they  left  their  horses,  and  took  a  boat  for  Fort  Van 
Couver,  where  Mr.  Ball  was  very  kindly  received  by  Dr. 
McLaughlin,  the  local  Governor  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company.  During  the  winter,  Mr.  Ball  taught  the  first 
school  that  had  ever  been  in  Oregon.  In  the  spring,  he 
went  thirty  miles  up  the  Willamette  River,  to  a  small 
farm  settlement;  where,  with  the  help  of  his  neighbors, 
he  fenced  in  and  cultivated  about  six  acres  of  wheat  and 
potatoes.  Seeing  no  prospect  of  the  arrival  of  other  set¬ 
tlers,  he  resolved  to  return  home;  and  accordingly,  in 
October,  1833,  embarked  in  a  ship  which  was  bound  for 
the  Sandwich  Islands.  They  stopped  a  few  weeks  at  San 
Francisco,  which  was  then  an  entire  wilderness.  Upon 
the  very  place  where  the  city  now  stands,  Mr.  Ball 
saw  a  Spaniard  lasso  a  wild  bullock.  Reaching  the  Sand¬ 
wich  Islands,  he  remained  three  weeks,  and  took  passage 
on  a  whaler,  bound  for  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts. 
They  put  in  at  the  Society  Islands,  and  remained  there 
three  weeks,  arriving  at  Rio  Janeiro  the  ist  of  June, 
1834.  By  this  time  Mr.  Ball  had  become  tired  of  the 
slow  progress  of  the  whaler;  and  at  this  port  he  secured 
a  passage  as  captain’s  clerk  on  board  the  armed  schooner 
“Boxer,”  which  was  bound  for  Norfolk,  Virginia.  The 
schooner  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant,  afterwards 
Admiral  Farragut.  Mr.  Ball  reached  Lansingburg,  after 
an  absence  of  two  years  and  a  half  of  adventures.  At 
Troy,  New  York,  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Mr. 
Wilson,  which  continued  for  one  year.  In  1837  he  came 
to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  has  since  resided;  here  he 
entered  into  land  speculations.  Soon  after,  he  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  to  select,  for  the  State,  the 


lands  which  had  been  granted  by  the  General  Govern¬ 
ment.  From  his  knowledge  of  the  Government  lands, 
and  the  reliance  that  was  placed  on  his  judgment  and 
honesty,  he  greatly  contributed  to  a  speedy  settlement 
of  these  lands  by  an  intelligent  class  of  Eastern  people. 
At  Grand  Rapids  he  opened  a  law  office,  with  S.  L. 
Withey,  now  Judge  of  the  United  States  District  Court. 
This  business  relation  lasted  for  eight  years,  during  two 
of  which  Judge  George  Martin  was  a  partner  in  the  firm. 
At  the  end  of  this  time,  Mr.  Ball  entered  into  partner¬ 
ship  with  J.  H.  McKee,  a  connection  that  still  exists. 
In  1871,  Mr.  Ball  went  to  Europe,  with  his  family, 
remaining  two  years  and  a  half,  one  year  of  the  time 
being  spent  in  Switzerland.  He  has  always  acted  with 
the  Democratic  party,  but  is  not  a  strong  partisan. 
During  the  early  portion  of  his  residence  in  Grand 
Rapids,  he  wms  elected  Representative  to  the  State 
Legislature.  He  has  always  been  a  strenuous  advocate 
for  the  thorough  education  of  the  people;  for  more  than 
twenty  years  he  has  been  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
School  Board  of  the  city.  On  the  31st  of  December, 
1849,  Mr.  Ball  married  Mary  T.,  daughter  of  Arthur  L. 
Webster,  of  Plymouth,  New  Hampshire,  one  of  the 
leading  men  in  the  county  where  he  lived.  Mr.  Ball  has 
five  children.  For  his  many  virtues  he  is  greatly  loved, 
and  for  his  industry  and  honesty,  he  is  highly  esteemed 
by  the  entire  community  in  which  he  resides. 

- K>« - 

‘^[^ARTOW,  HERVEY,  Portland,  Lawyer  and  Real 
Estate  Operator,  was  born  in  Freetown,  Cortland 
County,  New  York,  March  31,  1813.  His  par¬ 
ents  were  William  and  Grace  Bartow.  Plis  father  was 
born  in  Rutland  County,  Vermont,  in  1782.  When  a 
young  man,  he  came  to  Cortland  County,  New  York, 
and  was  married,  May  15,  1808.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  New  York  Assembly  in  1824.  In  1825  he  moved  to 
Michigan,  and  settled  in  the  woods  twenty-one  miles 
west  from  Detroit,  where  was  afterwards  organized  the 
town  of  Plymouth.  He  was  elected  to  the  Territorial 
Council  in  1831,  when  General  Lewis  Cass  was  Governor. 
Hervey  Bartow  was  twelve  years  old  when  his  father 
removed  to  Michigan.  With  the  exception  of  six  weeks 
in  a  neighboring  school,  he  obtained  all  his  subsequent 
education  by  studying  at  night,  after  severe  labor  through 
the  day.  During  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life,  his 
health  was  feeble  ;  and,  feeling  the  importance  of  a  good 
constitution,  he  resolved,  if  possible,  by  careful  industry, 
to  establish  his  health  on  a  firm  basis.  This  he  accom¬ 
plished.  His  next  ambition  was  to  secure  an  education, 
as  above  stated.  In  April,  1836,  having  obtained  a  few 
hundred  dollars  by  jobbing  in  clearing  land,  and. other 
hard  labor,  he  started  for  the  West.  He  traveled  on  foot 
through  the  wilderness,  camping  out  at  night;  following 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


5 


Indian  trails  and  section  lines  to  and  up  Grand  River,  by 
the  way  of  the  mouth  of  the  Looking-glass  River,  the 
country  along  which  was  then  unsettled,  but  has  since 
been  organized  into  a  city  known  as  Portland.  Thence 
he  went  through  the  wilderness  to  the  Kalamazoo  United 
States  Land  Office,  where  he  located  some  Government 
land;  and  finally,  in  the  fall  of  1836,  settled,  with  several 
of  his  friends,  in  Ionia  County,  near  where  the  town  of 
Lyons  now  stands.  Plere  he  farmed  until  the  fall  of 
1840,  when  he  went  to  Lyons,  and  commenced  the  study 
of  law  as  a  pastime,  still  looking  after  his  farming  in¬ 
terests.  In  the  winter  of  1846,  having  become  unable 
to  perform  manual  labor,  he  went  to  Portland,  in  said 
county,  and  gave  his  whole  attention  to  law  studies.  He 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  several  courts  of  the 
State  in  May,  1846,  and  immediately  opened  a  law  office 
at  Portland,  securing  the  confidence  of  the  public,  which 
he  never  forfeited.  His  talents  as  a  lawyer  are  rather 
solid  than  brilliant;  but  his  integrity,  never  impeached, 
gave  him  all  the  legal  business  in  this  section.  As  the 
official  Prosecutor  of  the  county,  which  he  was  in  the 
years  1855-56,  he  secured  conviction  in  every  case 
involving  guilt.  From  his  knowledge  of  common  and 
statute  law,  his  services  have  been  sought  and  secured, 
if  practicable,  since  his  retirement,  in  the  settlement  of 
estates  and  otherwise,  and  have  been  appreciated  by  his 
fellow-citizens.  In  response  to  their  desire,  he  has  occu¬ 
pied  honorably  the  highest  offices  in  his  township,  until, 
from  multiplicity  of  personal  interests,  he  has  felt  it  his 
duty  to  decline  every  official  position.  His  personal 
characteristics  are  well  adapted  to  his  profession.  Slow 
to  foi-m  an  opinion,  except  on  the  presentation  of  evi¬ 
dence,  he  seldom  changes  his  views  when  once  adopted. 
After  a  few  years,  however,  owing  to  the  small  amount 
of  law  business  in  the  new  country,  he  gave  up  practic¬ 
ing,  and  attended  to  real  estate  and  various  other  transac¬ 
tions,  with  a  short  term  in  the  mercantile  business.  In 
the  fall  of  1870,  he  was  elected  Circuit  Court  Commis¬ 
sioner  for  Ionia  County;  but  having  given  up  the  practice 
of  law,  declined  to  act.  He  served  six  years  on  the 
Board  of  Trustees, — with  special  reference  to  establishing 
by-laws,  precedents,  rules,  etc. — in  the  beginning, 
under  the  village  charter  of  Portland.  Mr.  Bartow  is 
very  desirous  for  the  improvement  of  the  locality  in 
which  he  lives;  and,  at  an  early  day,  believing  that  by 
building  a  dam  on  Grand  River  and  racing  the  whole 
length  of  his  land,  a  fine  water-power  could  be  obtained, 
he  offered  the  free  use  of  his  property  to  any  one  who 
would  make  such  improvement.  This  generous  offer, 
owing  to  jealousies  arising  from  interests  in  the  two 
sides  of  the  river,  was  not  accepted;  and  he  feels  that  its 
rejection  has  been  very  prejudicial  to  the  growth  of  the 
place.  In  the  summer  of  1866,  he  was  api)ointed  to 
confer  with  the  late  Hon.  James  Turner,  of  Lansing, 
concerning  the  practicability  of  procuring  a  railroad 


through  Portland,  on  a  line  from  Lansing  to  Ionia.  A 
company  was  formed,  of  which  Mr.  Bartow  was  chosen 
a  Director.  He  took  an  active  part  in  getting  stock  and 
in  securing  the  right  of  way.  Soon  after  there  seemed 
to  be  a  falling  off  of  zeal  on  some  parts  of  the  line. 
Mr.  Bartow  immediately  opened  a  correspondence  with 
Hon.  C. C.  E.lsworth,  of  Greenville;  Hon.  A.  L.  Green, 
of  Olivet,  and  George  Ingersoll,  of  Marshall,  with  a 
view  to  construct  a  railroad  from  Marshall,  through 
Portland,  to  Greenville.  A  survey  was  made  to  Green¬ 
ville,  and  also  through  Lyons  and  Muir.  A  company 
was  formed,  in  which  H.  Bartow  was  also  a  Director. 
This  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the  Ionia  citizens,  and 
people  on  other  parts  of  the  line  of  the  Ionia  and  Lans¬ 
ing  road;  and  in-the  fall  of  1869,  their  road  was  pushed 
in  earnest  to  Greenville.  Thus  one  railroad  was  secured 
for  Portland.  The  other — ^the  Coldwater,  Marshall  and 
Mackinaw  Railroad  —  owing  greatly  to  the  untiring  efforts 
of  Mr.  Bartow,  notwithstanding  much  opposition,  is  in  a 
fair  way  to  be  completed.  It  is  graded  almost  its  entire 
length,  as  established^ — from  Coldwater,  in  Branch 
County,  to  Elm  Hall,  in  Gratiot  County  —  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles.  Mr.  Bartow  belongs  to  the  society 
of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  has  taken  the  sev¬ 
enth  degree.  In  early  life,  he  thought  much  of  religion, 
as  instilled  from  Puritan  teachings,  but  could  not  admit 
the  practicability  or  adaptability  of  the  theories  and 
creeds  as  usually  taught.  He  believes  eternity  com¬ 
mences  with  each  being  at  its  birth;  that  all  things 
are  governed,  not  by  passionate  edict,  but  by  fixed  laws 
in  all  varieties  of  existing  things,  whether  physical  or 
spiritual,  and  as  adapted  to  character,  as  to  water  running 
down  hill.  It  may  be  dammed  and  diverted,  yet  the 
same  laws  govern  and  control  it;  so,  in  all  things,  ad 
inji7iititni ;  infinite  in  worlds;  infinite  in  the  existences 
connected  with  them,  in  physical  and  spiritual  capacities 
and  characteristics,  representing  in  this  an  infinite  God. 
In  politics  Mr.  Bartow  at  first  identified  himself  with  the 
Whig  party,  and  has  thrown  his  influence,  for  many 
years,  with  the  Republicans.  He  would,  however,  be 
glad  to  aid  that  party  which  would  best  secure  the  unity 
and  strength  of  the  country,  and  base  prosperity  upon 
the  broad  principle  of  rights  to  man,  as  promulgated  in 
its  Declaration  of  Independence.  He  has  never  married. 

■  »Oi 

^[^ALLARD,  REV.  JAMES,  Grand  Rapids,  was 
born  at  Charlemont,  Franklin  County,  Massa- 
chusetts,  April  20,  1805.  His  parents.  Captain 
William  Ballard  and  Elizabeth  Whitney  Ballard,  were 
natives  of  Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  and  were  married 
in  1787.  They  removed  to  Charlemont  in  1788,  where 
they  resided  during  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Of 
the  eleven  children  born  to  them,  the  subject  of  this 


6 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


sketch  is  the  tenth  child.  During  the  first  sixteen  years 
of  his  life,  his  educational  advantages  were  limited  to 
the  district  schools.  His  love  of  study,  however,  and 
religious  inclination  early  indicated  to  his  father  the 
propriety  of  devoting  him  to  the  ministry.  When  six¬ 
teen  years  old,  according  to  the  promise  of  his  father, 
made  two  years  previous,  he  entered  an  academy.  After 
pursuing  his  studies  diligently  for  two  years,  he  passed 
a  creditable  examination,  and  at  once  became  a  student 
in  Williams  College,  Massachusetts,  whence  he  gradu¬ 
ated  in  1827.  As  was  usual  in  those  days  with  students 
of  limited  means,  Mr.  Ballard  taught  a  district  school 
during  each  winter  of  his  college  life.  In  this  occupa¬ 
tion  he  gave  such  satisfaction  that,  after  graduating,  he 
commenced  teaching  a  high  school  at  Bennington, 
Vermont,  and  remained  ten  years.  During  this  time, 
of  the  very  many  pupils  whom  he  instructed,  he  pre¬ 
pared  nearly  forty  for  college.  While  thus  engaged, 
Mr.  Ballard  devoted  a  portion  of  his  leisure  time  to 
theological  study,  and  ventured  to  preach  in  destitute 
settlements.  At  the  termination  of  his  school  labors  in 
Bennington,  he  removed  to  Troy,  New  York,  entering  a 
theological  seminary ;  after  remaining  there  a  few  months, 
he  removed  to  Michigan,  and  became  pastor  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church  at  Grand  Rapids,  in  which 
charge  he  continued  ten  years.  During  this  time, 
by  his  strenuous  exertions,  a  church  building,  erected 
for  the  Roman  Catholic  service,  was  purchased.  Upon 
the  termination  of  his  pastorate,  he  accepted  the  posi¬ 
tion  of  Principal  of  the  Union  School,  which  had  recently 
been  organized  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  was  the  first  of  its 
character  established  in  the  State.  He  remained  in 
charge  of  this  school  nearly  four  years.  He  next  under¬ 
took  a  similar  work  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  to 
which  he  devoted  himself  during  the  next  two  years. 
Mr.  Ballard  then  resumed  his  ministerial  labors,  being 
engaged  as  a  missionary  among  the  different  Congrega¬ 
tional  Churches  of  the  Grand  River  Valley,  and  continued 
in  the  work  for  nine  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
period,  he  accepted  from  the  American  Sunday  School 
Union  an  appointment  as  missionary  for  that  work. 
During  the  following  five  years,  he  was  engaged  in 
visiting,  addressing,  organizing,  and  furnishing  with 
books  and  papers,  the  Sunday  Schools  within  his  terri¬ 
tory.  This  work  terminating  in  1869,  he  was  appointed 
by  the  American  Missionary  Association  to  raise,  in  his 
State,  funds  to  aid  the  freedmen.  Plaving  successfully 
accomplished  the  initiatory  work  under  this  appointment, 
he  spent  two  seasons  teaching  and  preaching  among  the 
freedmen, — the  first  in  Mississippi,  Georgia  and  Louisiana, 
and  the  second  at  Indianola,  Texas,  where  his  school  num¬ 
bered  about  one  hundred  colored  children.  His  labor  in 
this  field  seriously  impaired  his  health,  and  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  resign  the  work.  In  1831,  Mr.  Ballard 
was  married,  at  Bennington,  Vermont,  to  Miss  Emeline 


Hinsdill,  a  lady  educated  to  the  extent  of  the  advan¬ 
tages  of  the  period,  and  there  were  born  to  them  three 
children.  The  oldest  son,  having  enlisted  in  the  service 
of  his  country,  in  1862,  was  captured  at  Gettysburg,  and 
incarcerated  successively  in  Libby,  Macon,  Charleston 
and  Columbia  prisons ;  but  he  survived  all  hardships, 
and  is  now  making  his  record  as  an  attorney  and  member 
of  the  Grand  Rapids  bar. 


*®JaRNHART,  rev.  CLINTON  L.,  Muskegon, 
^ 'll!  Henry  W.  and  Mary  Barnhart, 

was  born  September  i,  1842,  in  Chautauqua 
County,  New  York.  His  ancestry  were  of  German  and 
English  origin,  who  conferred  upon  their  descendants 
that  best  of  all  heritages,  an  honorable  name.  His 
father,  a  man  highly  respected  for  integrity,  still  resides 
in  Schoolcraft,  Michigan;  he  was  married  early  in  life  to 
a  lady  of  Connecticut  parentage,  whose  father,  grand¬ 
father, and  brothers, all,  in  various  ways,  made  their  lives 
benefits  to  their  race, —  the  great-grandfather  of  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  this  sketch,  having  been  a  Revolutionary  hero. 
Mr.  Barnhart  pursued  a  common-school  and  academic 
course  in  his  native  county;  studied  Latin  and  Greek 
under  the  tuition  of  Rev.  L.  F.  Laine,  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman  and  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth.  Although  he 
did  not  enjoy  a  regular  collegiate  course,  he  remedied 
this  deficiency  by  diligent  application,  so  that,  in  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  ministerial  requirements  of  his  denomination, 
he  has  read  extensively  in  natural  science,  belles-lettres, 
metaphysics,  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew,  and  is  also  well 
informed  in  current  literature.  Inheriting  from  his 
father  earnestness  of  purpose,  and  from  his  mother  a 
deeply  conscientious  nature,  when  his  early  religious 
teachings  became  to  him  a  living  reality,  he,  from  con¬ 
victions  of  duty,  gave  up  his  aspirations  for  fame  in  the 
legal  profession,  and  chose  the  itinerant  ministry.  As 
his  inclinations  were  to  reading  and  study,  every  leisure 
moment  was  employed  in  that  way.  For  some  time, 
Mr.  Barnhart  taught,  hoping  to  improve  his  education; 
but,  in  1862,  when  his  country  called  upon  her  sons  to 
arm  in  her  defense,  the  heroic  blood  inherited  from  his 
Revolutionary  ancestors  was  stirred ;  his  books  were  laid 
aside,  and  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  army.  He 
rose,  by  promotion,  to  be  First  Lieutenant,  and  partici¬ 
pated  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville,  Mission  Ridge, 
Dug  Gap,  Resaca,  Dallas  and  Lost  Mountain ;  he  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Chancellorsville,  and  wounded  twice. 
He  had  charge  of  the  right  company  of  his  regiment  on 
the  day  he  received  his  last  wound,  which  necessitated 
his  honorable  discharge  from  the  army,  in  March,  1865. 
On  retiring  from  the  army,  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
work  of  the  itinerant  ministry.  In  1865  he  was  taken  on 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


9 


brrtel  Sixth  Corps  arrived,  and  raised  the  siege.  In 
consideration  of  his  services,  the  Secretary  of  War,  Mr. 
Stanton,  caused  a  commission  to  be  sent  to  Mr.  Beardsley, 
making  him  a  Captain  in  the  United  States  Army  (with¬ 
out  pay  or  emolument),  which  commission  has  never  been 
revoked.  Mr.  Seward  tendered  him  a  consulate,  which 
was  declined.  Mr.  Beardsley  subsequently  had  command 
of  a  post  near  Washington;  and,  during  those  exciting 
times,  had  many  a  skirmish  with  the  Confederates.  At 
the  termination  of  the  war,  he  was  made  a  Special  Agent 
of  the  United  States  Post-office  Department,  and  con¬ 
tinued  in  that  service  until  after  the  election  of  Grant, 
when  he  resigned.  He  then  removed  to  Muskegon, 
where  he  now  resides.  In  1876  Mr.  Beardsley  was  the 
Democratic  nominee  for  State  Senator  in  the  Twenty- 
ninth  District.  He  made  a  fine  canvass;  and,  though 
defeated,  ran  largely  ahead  of  Tilden  and  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  State  ticket.  A  fine  speaker  and  an  earnest 
advocate  for  what  he  deems  right;  above  all,  a  man  of 
sterling  integrity,  Mr.  Beardsley  holds  an  enviable  posi¬ 
tion  in  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens.  During  the 
Senatorial  contest  alluded  to,  some  of  the  Republicans 
became  alarmed  at  the  amazing  popularity  of  Beardsley, 
and  the  most  extravagant  means  were  used  to  defeat  him. 
Among  others,  a  Plollander,  of  some  influence  and  re¬ 
spectability,  published  a  card,  under  oath,  declaring  that 
Beardsley  was  an  Irishman  and  a  strict  Roman  Catholic. 
This  was  freely  circulated  among  the  large  Holland  and 
anti-Catholic  population  of  Ottawa  County.  No  one 
was  more  highly  entertained  by  this  species  of  attack 
than  Mr.  Beardsley  himself ;  for  his  keen  sense  of  the 
ludicrous  took  in  all  the  absurdity  connected  with  it. 
He  will  always  be  remembered  as  the  “ Yankee-Irish- 
man”  and  “Presbyterian-Catholic.”  Mr.  Beardsley  has 
some  reputation  as  a  writer  for  various  periodicals  and 
papers.  He  wrote  the  “Pencilings  from  Nature,”  so 
popular  years  ago,  and  many  other  humorous  sketches. 
To  poetry  he  has  contributed  quite  largely.  “The 
Beautiful  Soul,”  “Life  Leaves,”  “A  Retrospect,”  and 
various  other  familiar  productions,  are  from  his  pen. 


^lEIDLER,  HENRY,  Lumber  Merchant,  of  Chi¬ 
li  cago,  Illinois,  formerly  of  Muskegon,  Michigan, 
was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  No¬ 
vember  27,  1812.  He  attended  the  district  schools  until 
he  was  seventeen  years  old.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
he  entered  the  employ  of  an  uncle,  from  whom  he 
received  one  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  his  board. 
After  spending  ten  years  in  diligent  labor,  he  started 
for  the  West.  On  his  way  he  stopped  at  Philadelphia, 
Harrisburg  and  Pittsburg,  and  finally  settled  in  Spring- 
field,  Illinois.  There  he  carried  on  mercantile  business 
67 


in  a  small  way,  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade,  and  kept  a 
grocery  and  notion  store  until  1850.  During  the  next 
four  years,  he  traded  in  lumber  between  Springfield  and 
Chicago.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  in  partnership  with  two 
brothers  and  Mr.  Hathaway,  he  commenced  the  erection 
of  a  large  saw-mill  in  Muskegon.  In  1855  he  and  his 
brother  Jacob  bought  out  the  other  partners,  and  con¬ 
tinued  business  for  some  time  under  the  firm  name  of  J. 
Beidler  &  Brother.  They  afterwards  formed  a  copartner¬ 
ship  with  M.  J.  Brown  and  R.  P.  Easton,  which  lasted 
until  i860.  At  that  time  Mr.  H.  Beidler  and  his  brother 
bought  out  the  other  partners,  and  carried  on  an  enter¬ 
prising  business  for  ten  years.  A  stock  company  was 
then  formed,  which  elected  Henry  Beidler  President. 
The  mill  of  this  company  has  a  capacity  for  turning  out 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  feet  of  lumber  and  forty 
thousand  feet  of  laths  per  day,  and  produces  twenty-five 
million  feet  of  lumber  and  six  million  pieces  of  lath 
during  the  summer  season.  In  1866  Mr.  Beidler  was 
elected  Director  and  Treasurer  of  the  Muskegon  Boom¬ 
ing  Company.  On  the  formation  of  the  Lumbermen’s 
National  Bank,  he  became  Vice-President  and  Director. 
He  has  been  largely  interested  in  pine  land,  as  well  as 
city  property  in  Chicago  and  Muskegon. 


^jfl^ROAS,  LEVI,  Farmer,  of  Belding,  Ionia  County, 
was  born  in  New  Paltz,  Ulster  County,  New 
York,  December  31,  1821.  His  father,  Charles 
Broas,  was  a  native  of  Long  Island,  Suffolk  County, 
New  York.  In  1837  he  moved  to  the  town  of  Otisco, 
Ionia  County,  Michigan  ;  and,  settling  on  an  uncultivated 
farm,  continued  to  reside  there  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  January  i,  1855-  His  only  son,  Levi,  then 
took  charge  of  the  place,  and  has  since  been  actively 
engaged  in  farming  and  fruit  growing.  He  makes  a 
specialty  of  raising  fruit  and  fruit-trees,  supplying, 
largely,  the  demand  of  Montcalm,  Ionia,  and  the  adjoin¬ 
ing  counties.  He  has  been  one  of  the  most  energetic 
among  the  originators  of  the  village  of  Belding.  He 
platted  enough  of  his  land  to  make  about  two  hundred 
village  lots,  and  gave  long  leases  to  all  who  would  erect 
buildings  thereon.  His  whole  business  career  has  been 
honorable,  and  he  ranks  deservedly  high  among  the 
successful  men  of  his  county.  He  is  now  among  the 
wealthy  men  of  the  thriving  village  of  Belding.  He 
has  always  been  a  Republican.  He  uniformly  declines 
office.  In  all  religious,  moral,  and  benevolent  enter- 
prises,he  takes  a  strong,  and  generally  very  active,  inter¬ 
est.  Mr.  Broas  was  married,  August  28,  1849,  to  Miss 
Ruth  Ann  Just.  They  have  had  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living. 


lO 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


^^LANCIIARD,  JOHN  CI2LSUS,  Lawyer,  Ionia, 
^*|T|  Michigan,  was  born  at  Mentz,  Cayuga  County, 
^5^;  New  York,  September  19,  1822.  His  father, 
Washington  Z.  Blanchard,  is  a  leading  physician  of 
Lyons,  Michigan.  His  mother,  Hannah  (Jeffries)* 
Blanchard,  was  a  direct  descendant  of  the  celebrated 
Judge  Jeffries,  of  England.  Mr.  Blanchard  was  educated 
at  Temple  Hill  Academy,  at  Genesee,  New  York,  and 
Camuga  Institute.  His  father  being  unable  to  provide 
further  for  him,  he  engaged  to  work  in  a  mill.  As  soon 
as  he  had  earned  ten  dollars,  he  left  home  for  the  Terri¬ 
tory  of  Michigan.  Upon  arriving  at  Detroit,  which  was 
then  a  small  village,  he  engaged  in  work  on  a  farm,  at 
a  salary  of  six  dollars  per  month.  At  the  end  of  the 
first  month,  he  received  eight  dollars,  the  additional 
sum  being  paid  him  because  of  his  zeal.  In  the  fall  of 
1836,  being  then  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Shia¬ 
wassee  County,  and  did  whatever  work  he  could  find, 
until  the  spidng  of  1837;  when,  having  accumulated  fifty 
dollars,  he  started  for  the  Land  Office  at  Ionia,  walking 
the  whole  distance  of  sixty  miles,  through  an  unbroken 
wilderness,  and  sleeping  in  the  woods.  Having  reached 
his  destination,  he  sought  the  Land  Office,  and  paid  his 
fifty  silver  dollars  for  forty  acres  of  land.  Returning, 
in  the  same  manner,  to  Shiawassee  County,  he  remained 
there  until  the  spring  of  1838,  when  he  removed  to 
Ionia  County,  and  engaged  to  break  land  for  a  farmer 
at  Lyons;  at  twelve  dollars  a  month.  .  This  engagement 
was  fulfilled  so  satisfactorily  that  he  received  twenty 
dollars  per  month,  instead  of  the  sum  agreed  upon.  In 
the  fall  of  1838  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  store  of 
Giles  S.  Isham,  and  remained  there  one  year,  devoting 
his  leisure  time  to  study.  Having  then  decided  to  study 
law,  he  entered  the  office  of  Roof  &  Bell,  of  Lyons, 
where  he  I'emained  three  years.  After  passing  a  credit¬ 
able  examination,  in  1842,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  was 
admitted  to  practice.  Mr.  Roof  then  proposed  a  partner¬ 
ship,  which  Mr.  Blanchard  accepted,  and  this  business 
connection  continued  for  three  years.  Afterwards,  until 
1850,  Mr.  Blanchard  practiced  alone.  At  that  time, 
having  been  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney,  he  removed 
to  Ionia,  and  became  the  partner  of  Hon.  A.  F.  Bell, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Blanchard  &  Bell,  which  is 
to-day  a  leading  law  firm  of  Ionia  County.  During  the 
Presidency  of  James  Buchanan,  Mr.  Blanchard  was  ap¬ 
pointed  Register  of  the  United  States  Land  Office,  and 
held  the  position  four  years.  He  was  also  President  of 
Ionia  for  two  terms;  he  was  School  Director  for  nine 
years;  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Ionia  County  five  years; 
and  a  Trustee  of  Albion  College,  having  liberally  con¬ 
tributed  to  its  endowment  fund.  In  1872  he  was  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Lieutenant-Governor.  He  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
distinguished  himself  as  a  speaker  in  the  public  support 
of  the  Presidential  candidates.  He  is  a  member  of  the 


Masonic  Fraternity,  and  has  filled  several  of  the  principal 
offices  of  its  various  bodies.  Mr.  Blanchard  has  been  a 
liberal  benefactor  of  every  worthy  object.  Besides  his 
contributions  to  churches,  schools  and  railroads,  he  has, 
during  the  twenty-five  years  of  his  residence  in  Ionia, 
given  not  less  than  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  to  charit¬ 
able  purposes.  He  is  a  regular  attendant  of  the  Metho¬ 
dist  Episcopal  Church.  In  1845  he  married  Miss  Harriet 
A.  Brewster,  daughter  of  Frederick  Brewster,  of  Bur¬ 
lington,  Vermont.  They  have  four  children.  As  a 
lawyer,  Mr.  Blanchard  has  many  qualifications  which 
fit  him  for  successful  public  life.  His  opinions  are  his 
convictions  on  all  subjects;  and,  while  firmly  upholding 
them,  he  has  the  greatest  respect  for  the  convictions  of 
those  with  whom  he  may  differ.  As  a  criminal  lawyer, 
he  is  acknowledged  to  be  at  the  head  of  his  profession 
in  Michigan.  The  innate  ability  and  indomitable  per¬ 
severance  which  overcame,  in  succession,  every  impedi¬ 
ment  in  his  path  to  success,  and  placed  him  in  his 
present  position  of  prosperity  and  influence,  justly 
entitle  him  to  a  place  among  Michigan’s  self-made 
men. 


^jOGUE,  WILLIAM  W.,  Merchant,  of  Portland, 
Ionia  County,  was  born  in  Norfolk,  St.  Lawrence 
County,  New  York,  December  6,  1826.  His 


parents  were  both  natives  of  Vermont.  His  father, 
Philo  Bogue,  was  born  May  ii,  1797,  and  died  July  25, 
1839.  His  mother,  Eliza  (More)  Bogue,  was  born  in  1804, 
and  still  lives,  residing  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Francis 
G.  Lee,  in  Portland.  In  1831  his  father  removed  with 
his  family  to  Michigan,  settling,  at  first,  on  a  piece  of 
wooded  land  in  Pekin  Township,  Wayne  County.  After 
remaining  there  two  years,  he  settled  permanently  in 
Portland,  in  November,  1833.  At  this  time  the  country 
was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  inhabited  only  by  Indians 
and  wild  animals  of  the  forest.  Portland  was  but  an 
Indian  trading  post,  the  nearest  white  inhabitant  of  the 
country  being  at  Lyons,  ten  miles  distant.  Mr.  Bogue 
received  his  first  supplies  from  the  Indians,  and  built  the 
first  log  house  and.the  first  frame  house  in  Portland.  He 
kept  a  store  in  the  village  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1839.  Left  without  his  father  before  he  was  thirteen 
years  old,  William  W.  received  but  meager  educational 
advantages.  He  attended  school  at  inteiwals  in  Port¬ 
land,  and  spent  one  year  at  a  select  school  in  Pontiac. 
His  mother,  meanwhile,  having  sold  the  store  kept  by  her 
husband,  by  her  energy  and’  perseverance  kept  the  fam¬ 
ily  together.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  he  entered  a  general 
mercantile  store  in  Portland,  as  clerk,  and  continued  to 
work  in  the  same  capacity  in  various  stores  until  1850, 
when,  with  his  step-father,  Larmon  Chatfield,  he  opened 
a  general  store.  In  1853  Mr.  Chatfield  retired,  and  the 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


II 


place  in  the  firm  was  taken  by  Francis  G.  Lee.  Mr. 
Bogue  has  been  conducting  the  business  alone  since  1866, 
in  the  store  which  he  has  occupied  since  1853.  As  a 
business  man,  Mr.  Bogue  has  a  reputation  second  to 
none,  and  his  store  is  one  of  the  leading  ones  in  the 
country.  In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and  then  a 
Republican,  until  i860,  since  which  time  he  has  worked 
with  the  Democratic  party.  He  held  the  position  of 
Town  Clerk  three  or  four  terms,  and  was  Postmaster  of 
Portland  under  Taylor  and  Fillmore.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church  since  1865,  and  is  a 
trustee,  class-leader  and  steward.  In  November,  1851, 
he  married  Miss  Martha  Milne,  a  lady  of  English  birth. 
They  have  two  children, —  Florence  N.,  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  who  is  the  wife  of  Theron  M.  Lewis,  of  Port¬ 
land,  and  Norton  Bruce,  a  bright  boy  of  eleven  years. 
Mr.  Bogue  is  a  man  whose  character  and  standing  in  the 
community  are  of  the  highest  order. 


'ELL,  HON.  ALEXANDER  F.,  of  Ionia,  is 
among  the  prominent  men  of  Michigan,  whose 
history  is  peculiarly  his  own.  Pie  was  born 
August  5,  1812,  in  Charlton,  Saratoga  County,  New 
York.  His  parents,  James  and  Anna  Bell,  were  of 
Scotch  descetit.  Pie  graduated  from  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  New  York,  in  1836,  and  the  same  year, 
with  his  friend,  Hon.  Adam  L.  Roof,  emigrated  to 
Michigan.  In  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Roof  may  be  found 
soine  interesting  incidents  of  their  journey  from  Jackson, 
down  Grand  River,  to  Lyons,  where  they  settled.  Mr. 
Bell  became  a  student  in  the  law  office  of  Mr.  Roof;  and 
in  1840,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  as  an  attorney  and 
counselor  at  law,  and  solicitor  in  chancery  in  all  the 
courts  of  the  State.  In  September,  1839,  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Boyer,  of  Portland,  Ionia  County,  a 
a  lady  of  rare  talents,  goodness  of  heart  and  social  influ¬ 
ence.  They  have  had  seven  children,  two  of  whom  died 
in  infancy.  The  others  are  Nellie,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Colonel  J.  B.  Yates,  a  member  of  the  far-famed  Yates 
family  of  New  York;  Annie,  the  wife  of  F.  C.  Sibley, 
Esq.,  a  retired  merchant,  and  one  of  the  most  active  and 
useful  Aldermen  of  Ionia,  Michigan;  Mollie,  wife  of  Mr. 
J.  C.  Jennings,  a  successful  farmer  of  Ionia  County; 
Lizzie,  wife  of  S.  B.  Gorham,  Esq.,  a  gentleman  of  high 
standing  in  Jackson,  Michigan;  and  James,  who  mar¬ 
ried  Libbie  Rose,  a  member  of  one  of  the  leading  fami¬ 
lies  of  Petoskey,  Michigan.  In  1840  Mr.  Bell  moved 
from  Lyons  to  Ionia,  where  he  now  resides.  A  part  of 
the  summer  of  1847  he  lived  in  Grand, Rapids,  and  during 
most  of  the  years  1859-60,  in  Detroit.  In  1846  he  was 
elected  Representative  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  was 
one  of  its  most  influential  members.  In  the  spring  of 


1853  he  was  appointed  Register  of  the  United  States 
Land  Office,  located  at  Ionia,  and  performed  its  respon¬ 
sible  duties  four  years.  He  understood  well  the  theory 
and  practice  of  surveying,  and  became,  at  an  early  day, 
one  of  the  principal  surveyors  of  the  Grand  River  Val¬ 
ley.  In  1850  Mr.  Bell  entered  into  a  copartnership  with 
J.  C.  Blanchard,  Esq.,  a  keen  trial  lawyer,  who  at  that 
time  moved  from  Lyons  to  Ionia.  The  firm  of  Bell  & 
Blanchard  has  been  in  existence  most  of  the  time  since 
its  first  formation,  and  is  now  among  the  leading  ones  in 
that  section  of  the  State.  Mr.  Bell  is  truly  an  able  law¬ 
yer.  Hon.  C.  W.  Whipple,  once  one  of  the  Judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Michigan,  said  of  him,  that  he  had 
one  of  the  best  legal  minds  in  the  State.  Indeed,  in  the 
examination  of  legal  questions,  as  also  in  the  preparation 
of  important  cases  for  trial,  he  has  few  equals.  In  the 
advocacy  of  causes  before  a  jury,  he  has  always  greatly 
underrated  his  own  ability,  and  has,  therefore,  shrunk 
from  that  duty ;  but  in  discussing  cases  before  the  court, 
he  has  had  more  confidence,  and  has  performed  his  part 
with  remarkable  clearness  and  ability.  As  might  be 
expected,  he  has  been  employed  in  his  full  share  of 
important  civil  and  criminal  cases,  particularly  the  for¬ 
mer,  in  his  section,  never  occupying  a  third  place  in  a 
cause.  He  has  had  no  small  part  in  shaping  the  railroad 
legislation  of  the  State;  and  in  the  leading  American  and 
English  cases  on  that  subject,  he  has  few  peers.  In  a 
word,  as  a  lawyer,  he  possesses  substantial  elements,  as 
the  result  of  his  natural  good  judgment  and  thorough 
study.  Ble  is  public-spirited  above  most  men,  and  that 
in  a  broad  sense ;  his  interests  including  churches,  schools, 
and  reformatory  institutions,  as  well  as  railways,  streets 
and  iJublic  buildings.  Having  lived  in  Michigan  since  it 
first  became  a  State,  he  has  done  much  toward  moulding 
its  laws.  He  has  always  been  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
In  the  campaign  of  1848-9,  however,  he  acted  with  the 
Free-Soil  party  as  an  opponent  of  slavery.  Mr.  Bell  is 
a  warm,  generous,  reliable  friend,  and  an  equally  strong 
enemy.  lie  is  apt  to  carry  his  likes  and  dislikes  to  the 
borders  of  the  extreme,  and  people  are  never  in  doubt  as 
to  his  feelings  for  them.  He  is  of  medium  height,  and 
compactly  built.  He  has  a  large,  round  head,  dark  hair 
and  eyes,  symmetrical  features,  and  firm,  closely-shutting 
lips.  He  stands  straight  and  squarely  on  his  feet,  mov¬ 
ing  solidly,  and  is  the  embodiment  of  marked  individu¬ 
ality.  Once  seen,  he  is  rarely  forgotten.  He  possesses, 
not  only  great  presence  and  dignity,  but  a  wit  as  keen 
and  bright  as  a  lancet.  His  insight  almost  amounts  to 
intuition,  and  little  transpires  touching  an  object  in 
which  he  is  interested  without  his  knowledge.  He  is 
vigilant  and  untiring,  and  leaves  his  impress  upon  every 
thing  he  undertakes.  To  control  is  one  of  the  leading 
elements  of  his  character,  and  to  yield  is  extremely  dis¬ 
tasteful.  He  has  wonderful  powers  of  endurance,  and 
taxes  them  to  the  utmost.  His  fame  as  an  able  lawyer, 


12 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


adroit  manager,  and  keen  wit,  has  become  national;  and 
there  is  much  in  his  life,  scattered  along  its  entire  path¬ 
way,  which  would  be  of  value  to  the  historian,  but 
which  the  limits  of  this  work  unfortunately  exclude.  He 
belongs  to  that  class  of  leaders  who  strive  in  all  ways  to 
elevate  humanity,  and  it  may  truly  be  said  that  he  has 
acted  well  his  part.  If  none  criticise  but  those  who 
have  done  better,  in  a  life  equally  active  and  difficult, 
beginning  with  a  State  in  its  infancy,  and  progressing 
with  it  through  more  than  forty  years,  the  number  will 
be  few  indeed. 


[/JLISS,  ZENAS  E.,  M.  D.,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born 
at  Poolville,  Madison  County,  New  York,  July  4, 
1832.  He  is  the  son  of  Obadiah  Bliss,  of  Reho- 
both,  Massachusetts,  who  was  a  man  of  energy  and 
public  spirit.  His  mother  was  a  w’oman  of  deep  spir¬ 
itual  faith.  Dr.  Bliss  received  his  early  schooling  at 
Chagrin  Falls,  Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio.  His  father  was 
owner  of  a  large  woolen  factory;  and,  availing  himself  of 
the  opportunity,  the  son  became  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  business  in  all  its  branches.  In  1850  he  com¬ 
menced  the  study  of  medicine,  receiving  private  instruc¬ 
tion  in  the  office  of  Drs.  Harlan  &  Bliss,  after  which  he 
entered  the  office  of  his  brother,  at  Ionia,  Michigan.  He 
spent  three  years  in  study,  at  the  Michigan  University, 
with  an  interval  of  several  months’  practice  at  Lowell, 
Kent  County.  He  received  his  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1855, 
and  settled  in  Ionia,  where  he  remained  six  years,  with 
the  exception  of  one  winter,  spent  in  attending  clinical 
lectures  in  the  hospitals  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York. 
In  June,  1861,  he  entered  the  army  as  Assistant-Surgeon 
of  the  3d  Regiment  of  Michigan  Volunteei's.  He  was 
commissioned  Surgeon  of  his  regiment  in  October,  and 
from  that  time,  served  with  it.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
siege  of  Yorktown,  the  battles  of  Williamsburg,  Fair 
Oaks,  Seven  Pines,  and  the  seven  days’  fight  before 
Richmond,  including  Malvern  Hill.  After  this  cam¬ 
paign,  he  was  promoted,  by  President  Lincoln,  to  the 
position  of  Surgeon  of  the  United  States  Volunteers, 
stationed  at  Baltimore,  Maryland.  His  duties  included 
the  furnishing  of  the  United  States  General  Hospital, 
the  temporary  charge  of  invalid  officers,  and  the  charge 
of  the  National  Hotel  Hospital,  from  July,  1863,  until 
December,  1864.  He  was  then  appointed  Purveyor  of 
the  United  States  Army,  stationed  at  Baltimore.  He 
continued  in  the  discharge  of  these  duties  until  Febru¬ 
ary  2,  1866,  when,  his  services  being  no  longer  needed, 
he  was  discharged  with  the  title  of  Brevet  Lieutenant- 
Colonel.  Dr.  Bliss  spent  the  winter  of  1866-67  in  Paris 
and  London,  attending  clinical  lectures.  After  his 
return,  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1874.  His 


health  being  seriously  impaired,  he  then  withdrew  from 
his  professional  labors,  and  went  to  Europe.  He  returned 
to  Grand  Rapids  in  1875.  a  member  of  the 

Grand  Rapids  Medical  and  Surgical  Society,  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Medical  Association,  and  the  American  Public  Health 
Association.  In  August,  1873,  he  was  appointed,  by 
Governor  Bagley,  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Health ; 
but  resigned  this  commission  soon  after,  on  account  of 
declining  health.  He  was  President  of  the  Board  of 
United  States  Examining  Surgeons  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  an  honored  member  of  the  Christian  Church  since 
i860.  On  the  1 6th  of  September,  1856,  he  married 
Marian  Carr,  only  child  of  Archibald  Carr,  of  Ionia 
County,  Michigan,  and  of  this  union  one  daughter  has 
been  the  issue.  In  the  character  of  Dr.  Bliss,  the  mind 
and  heart  are  in  perfect  unison;  what  his  judgment 
approves,  his  hand  executes.  Possessing  an  enthusiastic 
love  for  his  profession,  and  having  a  mind  enriched  by 
long  years  of  constant  study,  his  experience  was  pecu¬ 
liarly  favorable  for  the  development  of  his  powers.  After 
his  return  to  Grand  Rapids,  he  ceased  practice,  in  con¬ 
sequence  of  his  health,  which  continued  to  fail  rapidly, 
until,  on  the  23d  of  April,  1877,  he  passed  from  life,  in 
the  forty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  At  a  called  meeting  of 
the  Grand  Rapids  Medical  and  Surgical  Society,  resolu¬ 
tions  of  the  most  complimentary  character  were  adopted, 
a  passage  from  one  of  which  we  here  insert,  as  expressive 
of  facts  worthy  of  record : 

“By  his  death  the  medical  profession  of  this  city  and 
State,  and  especially  the  Grand  Rapids  Medical  and  Sur¬ 
gical  Society,  lose  an  eminent  and  honorable  member. 
He  was  energetic  and  enthusiastic  in  all  that  pertained 
to  his  calling.  He  was  honorable  in  his  intercourse 
with  members  of  the  profession,  and  ever  courteous  to 
all.  His  skill  in  the  practice  of  all  departments  of  his 
vocation,  though  especially  of  surgery,  has  been  equaled  - 
by  few  and  surpassed  by  none  of  his  co-workers;  and 
his  Christian  fortitude  and  cheerfulness,  during  his  pro¬ 
tracted  sickness,  are  eminently  worthy  of  our  example. 
His  life  was  an  example  of  earnestness  in  the  performance 
of  all  duties,  professional  and  private,  and  his  death 
removes  one  of  our  most  honorable  practitioners  and 
upright  citizens.” 


IENNETT,  JOHN  R.,  Druggist,  Muskegon,  Michi¬ 


gan,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Lodi,  Washtenaw 
County,  Michigan,  April  19,  1847,  was  the 
son  of  John  L.  and  Mary  Ann  (Borden)  Bennett.  His 
parents  moved  to  Grand  Rapids  when  he  was  eight  years 
of  age.  After  graduating  from  the  High  School  at  Grand 
Rapids,  in  1862,  he  became  clerk  in  the  dry-goods  store 
of  James  Lyman,  where  he  remained  one  year.  The  year 
following  he  engaged  with  the  firm  of  Minck  &  Withey. 
He  subsequently  went  to  Chicago,  and  enlisted  in  the 
I32d  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Pickett.  After 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


returning  to  Grand  Rapids,  he  engaged  in  the  drug  store 
of  C.  H.  Johnson.  Still  later,  he  was  employed  by  the 
firm  of  Leonard  &  Wooster,  at  Muskegon,  and  remained 
with  them  two  years.  Removing  to  Pontiac,  he  became 
associated  with  A.  Parker,  druggist.  In  1869  he  went  to 
Charlotte,  Michigan,  where  he  carried  on  a  successful 
drug  business  for  about  two  years.  He  then  sold  out,  and 
removed  to  Ionia,  where  he  was  employed  by  Taylor  & 
Irish,  druggists.  In  April,  1872,  he  formed  a  partner¬ 
ship  with  H.  D.  Irish,  under  the  firm  name  of  Irish  & 
Bennett.  In  1874  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  and 
removed  to  Muskegon,  where  he  was  employed  by  W.  A. 
Sibley,  druggist.  In  1877  he  opened  a  large  drug  store 
in  Muskegon,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  R.  Bennett  &  Co. 
Mr.  Bennett  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and 
is  a  Knight  Templar.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  of  which  he  has  been  elected  Chancellor  Com¬ 
mander  for  the  third  term.  He  was  married,  November 
2,  1870,  to  Miss  L.  A.  Ward,  of  Charlotte,  Michigan. 

- - 

»ERKEY,  WILLIAM  A.,  Manufacturer  of  Furni¬ 
ture,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Perry  County, 
Ohio,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1823.  He  is  the  son 
of  John  Berkey,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Lydia  (Reams) 
Berkey,  of  Virginia.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
of  Perry  and  Seneca  counties,  and  spent  one  year  in  study 
at  Norwalk,  Ohio,  after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching. 
In  the  fall  of  1844  he  commenced  to  learn  the  carpenter 
and  joiner  trade,  and  for  a  number  of  years  continued  in 
that  business.  In  1848  he  removed  to  Tiffin,  Ohio,  w'here 
he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  doors  and  sashes, 
remaining  there  seven  years.  He  then  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  and  engaged  in  the  same  business. 
Soon  afterward,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Elias 
Matter  and  Julius  Berkey,  his  brother,  and  established  the 
foundation  of  the  wholesale  furniture  business  at  present 
engrossing  much  capital,  and  employing  more  than  a 
thousand  men  in  that  city.  This  partnership  was  changed, 
in  1868,  by  Elias  Matter’s  going  out,  and  George  W. 
Gay’s  coming  in.  Subsequently,  the  manufacture  of  furni¬ 
ture  was  carried  on  five  years  under  the  firm  name  of 
Berkey  Brothers  &  Gay.  In  1873,  Mr.  Berkey,  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  this  sketch,  sold  out  his  interest  to  his  partners 
for  $80,000.  In  1870  he,  in  connection  with  other  parties, 
originated  the  Phoenix  Furniture  Company,  when  he  was 
elected  President.  He  still  holds  that  position.  This 
company  carries  a  capital  of  about  ^500,000;  employs 
about  four  hundred  men;  and,  with  facilities  for  manu¬ 
facturing  said  to  be  unsurpassed,  their  work  ranks  with 
anything  of  the  kind  done  in  the  United  States.  In  poli¬ 
tics  Mr.  Berkey  was  a  Republican  until  1876,  when 
he  was,  by  the  Greenback,  or  Peter  Cooper  party,  of  Michi¬ 
gan,  nominated  for  the  State  Legislature.  He  has  been 


a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  since  boyhood.  In 
1848  he  married  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Peter  Springer, 
of  Seneca  County,  Ohio.  The  problem,  to  the  solving 
of  which  Mr.  Berkey  has  devoted  much  thought  within 
the  past  ten  years,  is  the  difficult  question  of  national 
finance  as  the  basis  of  national  prosperity.  He  has, 
within  that  period,  published  a  work  of  nearly  four  hun¬ 
dred  pages  devoted  to  that  subject,  which  has  elicited 
testimonials  of  high  approval  from  men  of  much  ability. 
The  problem  which  he  undertakes  to  solve  in  this  work, 
is  one  of  surpassing  interest,  and  worthy  of  the  best 
thought  of  every  employer  of  large  numbers  of  artisans, 
mechanics,  and  other  workingmen, —  involving,  as  it  does, 
the  living,  happiness,  and  prosperity  of  those  men  who 
compose  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  nation. 


iRIGGS,  COLONEL  GEORGE  G.,  late  of  the 
7th  Regiment  of  Michigan  Cavalry,  and  at  pres- 
ent  Treasurer  of  the  Barrel,  Rim  and  Bent-w'are 
Manufacturing  Company,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was 
born  in  Wayne  County,  Michigan,  on  the  25th  of  Janu¬ 
ary,  1838.  When  but  a  little  child,  his  father,  a  mer¬ 
chant,  died ;  and  while  yet  a  youth,  the  son  entered  a 
mercantile  house  at  Battle  Creek,  where  he  remained 
three  years,  and  subsequently  attended,  for  a  short  time,' 
Olivet  College.  He  then  removed  to  Galesburg,  Illinois, 
where  he  remained  five  years,  and  returning  to  Battle 
Creek,  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Averill,  and 
conducted  a  mercantile  business,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Averill,  Briggs  &  Co.  When,  in  1862,  it  became  appa¬ 
rent  to  him  that  his  country  required  his  service,  he 
disposed  of  his  business  interests,  and  devoted  himself 
to  raising  a  company  of  cavalry,  of  which  he  was  ap¬ 
pointed  First  Lieutenant.  This  company,  when  equipped 
for  service,  became  a  part  of  the  7th  Regiment  of  Mich¬ 
igan  Cavalry,  which  left  Grand  Rapids  for  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  W.  D. 
Mann.  Before  leaving  with  his  regiment  for  the  Poto¬ 
mac,  Lieutenant  Briggs  made  a  parting  visit  to  his  friends 
at  Galesburg;  and  was,  by  the  citizens  of  that  town,  pre¬ 
sented  with  a  sword,  as  a  token  of  their  high  esteem. 
He  served  with  his  regiment  in  the  Army  of  the  Poto¬ 
mac  during  the  war;  that  regiment  forming  a  part  of  the 
famous  Michigan  Cavalry  Brigade,  which,  under  the 
command  of  the  daring  and  lamented  Custer,  fought  and 
distinguished  itself  in  sixty-three  battles.  The  subject 
of  our  sketch  soon  became  famous  for  his  gallantry  and 
courage,  and  promotion  followed  from  grade  to  grade, 
until,  in  1864,  he  became  Colonel  of  his  regiment.  His 
service  in  the  field  was  distinguished  by  that  devotion  to 
his  country  which  finds  appropriate  expression  in  the 
cheerful  performance  of  every  duty.  His  regiment  was, 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


H 

successively,  under  the  command  of  Generals  Custer, 
Kilpatrick,  Merritt,  and  the  present  Lieutenant-General 
of  the  United  States  Army.  In  a  series  of  brilliant 
operations  under  Sheridan,  throughout  the  six  days  imme¬ 
diately  preceding  the  surrender  of  Lee,  Colonel  Briggs 
had  three  horses  shot  under  him,  but  miraculously  e's- 
caped  injury.  He  was  so  often  upon  the  line,  and  so 
frequently  exposed,  that,  at  the  close  of  the  severe  fight 
on  the  8th  of  April,  1865,  he  was  made  the  recipient  of 
the  general  congratulations  of  his  brother  officers  upon 
his  safe  return.  In  attestation  of  his  gallantry,  a  recom¬ 
mendation  that  he  be  brevetted  for  gallant  conduct,  was 
signed  by  Colonel  Stagg,  who  commanded  the  brigade; 
by  General  Deven,  commanding  the  division;  by  Gen¬ 
eral  Merritt,  commanding  the  corps;  and  by  General 
Sheridan,  commanding  the  left  wing  of  the  army.  On 
the  morning  of  the  9th,  the  position  obtained  by-Colonel 
Briggs  enabled  him  to  be  the  first  officer  to  recognize 
the  bearers  of  the  flag  of  truce  which  so  suddenly  ter¬ 
minated  the  four  years’ war.  He  accompanied  the  bearers 
to  General  Custer,  the  nearest  general  officer,  who  di¬ 
rected  his  chief-of-staff  and  Colonel  Briggs  to  return  with 
the  bearers  and  his  message  to  Lee’s  head-quarters. 
There  Colonel  Briggs  made  the  acquaintance  of  General 
Longstreet,  and  other  distinguished  men,  with  whom  a 
cessation  of  hostilities  was  agreed  upon  until  four  o’clock 
in  the  afternoon,  at  which  time  the  surrender  of  the 
Confederate  Army  was  announced  throughout  the  Union 
Army,  amid  an  excitement  that  words  fail  to  portray. 
But  with  that  surrender,  which  brought  peace  to  the 
nation,  the  services  of  the  7th  Michigan  Cavalry  were 
not  dispensed  with  by  the  Government.  That  regiment, 
a  few  days  afterward,  was  assigned  for  duty  on  the 
western  frontier;  and  there, —  under  its  gallant  Colonel, 
George  G.  Briggs,  who  was  placed  in  command  of  all 
the  cavalry  forces  in  the  South  sub-district  of  the  Plains, 
with  his  head-quarters  at  Fort  Collins,  about  seventy-five 
miles  from  Denver,  Colorado, — served  faithfully,  guard¬ 
ing  valuable  and  heavily-freighted  stage-lines  and  trains, 
and  protecting  the  residents  of  the  frontier.  In  Octo¬ 
ber,  1865,  Colonel  Briggs  marched  a  part  of  his  command 
over  the  mountains  to  Salt  Lake  City ;  and,  having  taken 
command  of  the  cavalry  forces  at  Fort  Douglas,  remained 
there  until  he  was  mustered  out  of  service.  He  returned 
to  the  East  by  San  Francisco  and  Panama,  arriving  at 
New  York  after  a  three  weeks’  voyage  from  Aspinwall. 
Being  advised  by  letter,  on  his  arrival  at  Detroit,  he 
called  on  the  jewelry  firm  of  M.  S.  Smith  &  Co.,  where 
he  was,  by  the  officers  of  his  regiment,  presented  with  a 
beautiful  gold  watch,  and  their  best  wishes  that  in  his 
future  peaceful  pursuits  he  should  be  no  less  successful 
than  he  had  been  while  their  immediate  commander  in 
the  war.  In  May,  1866,  Colonel  Briggs  removed  to 
Grand  Rapids,  and,  in  partnership  with  J.  W.  Peirce, 
engaged  in  the  dry-goods  business,  under  the  firm  name 


of  Peirce  &  Briggs.  From  this  business  he  withdrew  in 
1870,  and  engaged  in  manufacturing,  as  a  stockholder 
and  Treasixrer  of  the  Michigan  Barrel,  Rim  and  Bent- 
ware  Manufacturing  Company,  to  which  he  has  since 
devoted  his  time.  This  business,  through  his  close  at¬ 
tention  to  it,  has  prospered,  and  now  gives  employment 
to  about  three  hundred  men.  In  May,  1866,  Colonel 
Briggs  married  Miss  Julia  R.  Peirce,  youngest  daughter 
of  his  partner  in  business  at  that  time.  Mr.  Peirce, 
since  deceased,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
Grand  River  Valley.  In  politics.  Colonel  Briggs  has 
been  active.  In  the  campaign  of  1868,  he  was  a  dele¬ 
gate  to  the  National  Convention  at  Chicago  that  nomi¬ 
nated  Grant  and  Colfax.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the 
Secretaries;  and,  as  an  officer  of  the  convention,  was  one 
of  the  committee  that  went  to  Washington  to  notify 
General  Grant  of  his  nomination.  During  the  campaign 
he  took  a  leading  part  in  all  Republican  demonstrations 
at  Grand  Rapids.  He  was  chosen  commander  of  the 
Tanners’  organization  of  that  city  ;  and  being  nominated 
as  Representative  of  the  First  District  of  Grand  Rapids 
to  the  Legislature  of  Michigan,  he  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority.  After  serving  the  two  years  of  his  term,  he 
decided  to  withdraw  from  politics,  and  devote  himself 
entirely  to  his  business.  Although  since  urgently  solic¬ 
ited  to  accept  nominations,  he  has  declined  to  do  so. 
Colonel  Briggs  is,  in  an  eminent  degree,  one  of  Michi¬ 
gan’s  self-made  men.  He  began  his  career  an  orphan 
youth,  dependent  entirely  upon  himself;  and,  by  the 
time  he  had  attained  his  majority,  was  a  man  of  estab¬ 
lished  character,  positive  in  opinion,  direct  in  speech, 
and  careful  and  conservative  in  his  business  arrange¬ 
ments.  At  the  call  of  his  country,  he  sacrificed  his 
business  interests  without  hesitation,  and  engaged  in  that 
service,  in  which  he  achieved  a  success  of  which  any 
man  might  be  proud.  He  has  attained,  since  the  close 
of  the  war,  by  strict  application  to  business,  wealth  and 
influence  among  his  fellow-citizens,  whose  confidence  he 
enjoys,  no  less  for  upright  dealing  than  for  his  courteous, 
gentlemanly  bearing. 

- - 


J30TH,  EPHRAIM  J.,  of  Lowell,  Kent  County, 
was  born  at  Palmyra,  New  York,  May  17,  1818, 
and  was  the  only  son  of  a  family  of  four  children. 
His  father,  William  Booth,  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner 
by  trade.  His  mother,  Susanna  (Briggs)  Booth,  died 
when  he  was  only  five  years  old.  His  father  was  in 
poor  circumstances,  and  Ephraim  attended  the  common 
schools  at  different  places  where  he  worked  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  being  principally  employed, 
until  he  was  nineteen,  in  farm  work.  He  then  made  a 
short  trip  to  Ohio,  from  which  he  soon  returned  to 
Rochester,  New  York,  where  the  greater  part  of  the 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


next  two  years  was  spent,  alternately,  as  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store,  peddler,  and  manufacturer  of  confection¬ 
ery.  He  went  to  Michigan  in  1844,  and  bought  land  in 
Osceola  Township,  Livingston  County ;  and,  with  his 
father,  cleared  about  ten  acres,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Rochester.  In  1847  he  decided  to  leave  New  York, 
and  went  to  Michigan,  where,  in  the  spring  of  1848,  he 
engaged  in  the  foundry  business  with  Deacon  L.  Chapin, 
in  Hudson,  Lenawee  County.  In  August,  1852,  he 
married  Caroline  C.,  daughter  of  his  partner,  Mr. 
Chapin.  In  the  spring  of  1853  he  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids ;  and,  in  the  following  August,  lost  his  wife, 
who  left  an  infant  daughter  eleven  days  old.  She 
bears  her  mother’s  name,  and  is  still  a  loved  inmate 
of  her  father’s  house.  June  i,  1854,  he  went  to  Lowell, 
and  opened  a  store,  with  a  small  stock  of  merchandise. 
There  was  a  tribe  of  Indians  near  Lowell  at  that  time, 
but  not  more  than  ten  white  families,  and  at  first  his 
customers  were  few  and  far  between.  His  trade  steadily 
increased,  however,  with  the  population ;  and,  by  in¬ 
dustry  and  perseverance,  he  soon  secured  a  handsome 
business.  After  making  various  changes  in  partners,- — 
always,  however,  holding  a  controlling  interest  himself 
— he  retired  from  mercantile  life  in  1865,  since  which  time 
he  has  devoted  his  attention  principally  to  farming. 
He  is  a  large  stockholder  in  the  Lowell  National  Bank; 
and,  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  has  been  its  Vice- 
President  since  its  organization  in  1866.  March  15, 
1858,  he  married  Nancy  M.  Chapin,  sister  of  his  former 
wife.  They  have  five  children,— two  sons  and  three 
daughters, —  all  still  living  at  home.  He  cast  his  first 
vote  in  1844,  and  is  a  Republican.  He  has  refrained 
from  taking  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  has  never  held 
public  office.  He  claims  that  his  education  has  been  of 
a  thoroughly  practical  kind.  Although  fluent,  and,  at 
times,  forcible  in  private  conversation,  he  can  never  be 
prevailed  upon  to  make  a  public  speech.  He  is  liberal 
in  his  religious  opinions,  professing  no  adherence  to  any 
sect.  His  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
He  is  strictly  devoted  to  temperance  principles,  and  an 
abettor  of  every  pure  and  moral  enterprise. 


AflLZ,  ALOYS,  of  Spring  Lake,  Ottawa  County, 
If  Michigan,  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1841,  and  emi- 
grated,  with  his  parents,  to  this  country  in  1849. 
They  settled  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  nearly  the 
whole  of  their  large  family  still  reside.  Mr.  Bilz  attended 
a  private  school  in  Buffalo,  and,  at  the  age  of  eleven,  was 
sent  to  St.  Vincent’s  College,  in  Westmoreland  County, 
Pennsylvania.  He  remained  there  only  fifteen  months; 
and,  after  a  short  visit  to  his  parents,  left  home,  at  the 
early  age  of  thirteen,  with  no  fixed  purpose,  except  an 
ambition  to  make  his  own  fortune.  He  found  employ¬ 


ment  as  an  apprentice  in  a  hardware  establishment  at  New 
Hamburg,  Canada;  and,  two  years  later,  went  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  business.  He 
then  woi'ked  seven  years  in  the  employ  of  J.  F.  Buffum, 
of  New  Baltimore.  In  1864  he  married  Mary  Alice, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  O.  C.  Thompson,  of  Detroit;  and, 
with  a  view  of  finding  a  permanent  home,  visited  various 
parts  of  the  State.  In  July,  1866,  he  established  himself 
in  the  village  of  Spring  Lake.  He  has,  from  the  first, 
taken  a  prominent  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
prosperity  of  this  locality.  In  1871  his  home  and  entire 
hardware  and  furniture  establishment,  valued  at  $30,000, 
were  destroyed  by  fire.  This  misfortune  would  have 
crushed  a  less  energetic  man,  but  Mr.  Bilz  entered  a  new 
store  in  just  four  weeks  from  the  day  of  the  fire.  His 
early  affiliations  and  family  influences  were  all  Dem¬ 
ocratic;  but  he  is  a  Republican,  and,  as  Chairman  of 
the  Republican  Committee  of  the  township,  has,  for 
years,  contributed  largely  toward  every  success  his  party 
has  attained  in  the  locality.  During  the  past  year  he  was 
President  of  the  village  of  Spring  Lake,  and  is  now  Super- 
viso5.of  his  township. 

- - «>« - 

*^fPOWEN,  DE  WITT  CLINTON,  of  Montague, 
Michigan,  was  born  in  Elbridge,  Onondaga 
County,  New  York,  October  29,  1836.  His 
father’s  parents  were  of  English-Welsh,  and  his  mother’s 
of  Scotch-Irish,  descent.  The  family  emigrated  to  Mil¬ 
waukee,  Wisconsin,  in  1846,  and  shortly  afterwards  to 
Fonddu  Lac, — then  a  village  consisting  of  some  six 
families, — where  hlr.  Bowen  spent  six  years  of  genuine 
frontier  life.  He  was  then  placed  in  Lawrence  Uni¬ 
versity,  Wisconsin,  where  he  received  a  liberal  education. 
He  next  made  a  tour  of  observation,  of  eighteen  months’ 
duration,  through  the  Southern  States,  and  returned 
home  by  way  of  Havana  and  New  York.  He  estab¬ 
lished  a  lumber-yard  at  Milton  Junction,  Wisconsin,  and 
soon  after  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  shingles  at 
Oshkosh,  Wisconsin.  He  married,  December  23,  1863, 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Michael  Reason,  an  Irish  gentle¬ 
man  of  education  and  wealth  in  his  native  land,  and  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Northern  Wisconsin.  In  October, 
1866,  he  removed  to  his  present  home,  Montague,  erected 
a  mill,  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  shingles,  in 
which  he  has  attained  a  national  reputation.  He  is 
justly  considered  an  authority  in  all  matters  pertaining 
to  this  branch  of  industry.  In  the  organization  of  the 
White- River  Log  and  Booming  Company,  he  was  an 
active  participant;  was-  its  first  permanent  Secretary, 
and  afterwards  held  the  office  of  President.  From  the 
beginning  he  has  been  identified  with  the  establishment 
and  management  of  the  public  schools  of  Montague.  He 
is  a  conservative  politician,  and,  in  no  sense,  a  partisan. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


i6 

/f|^HAMPLIN,  HON.  JOHN  W.,  Lawyer,  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Kingston,  New 
York,  PTbruary  17,  1831.  His  father,  Jeffrey  C. 
Champlin,  lived  on  a  farm  in  Delaware  County,  New 
York.  Here  Mr.  Champlin  remained,  pursuing  his  studies 
at  various  schools,  until  he  graduated  at  Delaware  Insti¬ 
tute,  expecting  to  become  a  civil  engineer.  In  1854  he 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  S.  G. 
Champlin,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  He  was  ad¬ 
mitted  to  practice,  in  the  courts  of  Michigan,  in  June, 
1855,  and  was  employed  to  prepare  a  draft  of  the  new 
city  charter,  passed  by  the  Legislature  in  1857-  He  held 
the  office  of  City  Attorney  for  three  years,  and  was  elected 
Judge  of  the  Recorder’s  Court  in  1861.  In  1867  he 
became  Mayor  of  Grand  Rapids.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Fraternity,  and,  in  1871,  was  Grand  Master  of 
the  State.  Mr.  Champlin  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  for  twelve  years.  In  politics  he  was  a 
War  Democrat,  and  generally  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party.  He  was  married,  in  1856,  at  Polo,  Illinois,  to 
Miss  Ellen  Moore.  They  have  three  children.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Champlin  has  devoted  himself,  with  great  suc¬ 
cess,  to  his  profession.  His  practice  is  yearly  increasing, 
not  only  in  Michigan,  but  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  spotless  integrity, 
a  wise  counselor,  and  a  keen,  determined  advocate. 

- 


«HURCH,  PION.  TPIOS.  BROWNELL,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  in  September,  1821, 
in  the  town  of  Dighton,  Bristol  County,  Massa¬ 
chusetts.  His  grandfather,  Thomas  Church,  was  a 
Colonel  in  the  Rhode  Island  Line  during  the  Revolu¬ 
tionary  War.  Pie  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Benjamin 
Church,  who  commanded  the  united  forces  of  the 
Eastern  Colonies  during  the  Indian  wars,  which  termi¬ 
nated  in  the  death  of  the  Indian  King  Philip,  of 
-Mount  Hope.  On  account  of  delicate  health  and  de¬ 
fective  vision,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  had  no  regular 
schooling  in  his  boyhood,  but  obtained  instruction  at 
home,  and  was  from  early  youth  a  reader  of  all  books 
to  which  he  could  obtain  access.  After  he  had  spent 
several  years  in  sea  voyaging,  he  was  believed  to  be 
able,  after  a  rapid  but  thorough  preparation,  to  under¬ 
take  a  college  course;  and  did  so,  going  through  Trinity 
College,  then  called  Washington,  at  Hartford,  Connec¬ 
ticut.  Subsequently  he  went  South,  and  there,  for  some 
years,  engaged  in  teaching,  and  regained  his  health. 
He  then  chose  the  profession  of  law,  and  spent  a  year 
in  Cambridge  Law  School,  Massachusetts.  Then,  re¬ 
moving  to  Michigan,  he  studied  in  the  law  office  of 
Lieutenant-Governor  J.  Wright  Gordon,  at  Marshall; 
and,  having  been  licensed  to  practice,  he  removed  to 
Grand  Rapids,  in  1843,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and 


practiced  his  profession.  He  was  appointed,  by  Gov¬ 
ernor  John  S.  Barry,  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Kent 
County,  which  office  he  retained  two  years.  In  1850  he 
was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  second  Constitutional 
Convention  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  his  colleague 
being  Hon.  Rix  Robinson,  a  distinguished  pioneer  of 
that  State.  In  1851  he  was  elected  a  Representative  to 
the  State  I.egislature, — his  colleague  being  the  present 
Senator,  Hon.  Thomas  W.  Ferry, — from  a  district  com¬ 
prising  Kent  and  Ottawa  counties.  In  1855  be  was 
again  elected  the  Representative  of  Kent  County.  In 
1852  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids; 
and,  in  that  year,  was  presented  as  their  choice  for  the 
Congressional  nomination,  by  the  northern  counties  of 
a  district  comprising  all  Western  Michigan.  In  1858, 
in  i860,  and  in  1862,  he  was  the  Democratic  Congres¬ 
sional  candidate  in  that  district, — overwhelmingly  Re¬ 
publican,  especially  in  the  latter  of  those  years, — bearing 
the  party  standard,  but  having  no  hope  of  election.  A 
Douglas  Democrat  in  i860,  he  subsequently  was  a  pro¬ 
nounced  War  Democrat,  and  earnestly  promoted  enlist¬ 
ments  in  the  Federal  Army.  Since  then,  Mr.  Church  has 
quietly  practiced  his  profession  at  Grand  Rapids,  having 
engaged,  since  the  commencement  of  practice,  in  sev¬ 
eral  important  civil  and  criminal  causes.  In  the  estima¬ 
tion  of  the  profession,  he  manifests  much  power  as 
a  pleader,  while,  as  a  public  speaker,  he  has  fre¬ 
quently  addressed  large  audiences  on  political  and  other 
subjects.  There  is  probably  no  man  in  Michigan  to-day 
who,  to  thorough  knowledge  of  history,  adds  such 
facility  of  expression.  He  has  always  been  a  persistent 
student;  and,  even  now,  at  his  advanced  age,  is  desirous 
of  acquiring  knowledge.  In  1841  Mr.  Church  married 
Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Stuart,  of 
Battle  Creek,  Michigan.  They  have  but  one  son  liv- 
iiig, — Frederick  I.  Church,  an  artist,  at  present  engaged 
in  the  establishment  of  Harper  Brothers,  in  New  York 
City. 


t HATFIELD,  REY.  LARMON,  of  Portland,  was 
born  in  Windham,  Green  County,  New  York,  Sep- 
tember  7,  1807,  and  was  the  son  of  Josiah  and 
Olive  Chatfield.  His  early  years  were  spent  in  hard 
work  on  the  farm,  as  he  was  the  only  child  capable  of 
assisting  his  father  in  this  labor.  His  parents  were 
unable  to  send  him,  for  more  than  a  few  months,  to  the 
rude  district  school  in  the  neighborhood ;  and  this,  with 
a  few  months’  academic  training,  which  he  earned  in 
after  years,  constituted  his  school  education.  But  his 
keen  intellect  and  studious  disposition  triumphed  over 
all  obstacles;  and  so  well  did  he  turn  to  profit  his  lim¬ 
ited  advantages,  that,  in  the  days  of  his  pulpit  power, 
no  man  was  more  accurate  in  the  use  of  language.  He 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


17 


knew  well  the  meaning  of  words,  and  had  rare  skill  in 
fitting  them  into  rugged  sentences  to  express  his  earnest 
thoughts.  His  parents  were  members  of  the  Presbyte¬ 
rian  Church,  and  were  firm,  intelligent  believers  in  its 
doctrines;  but,  in  his  boyhood,  he  manifested  a  dislike 
for  the  teachings  of  that  church,  and  sought  every  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  play  truant  from  it,  and  attend  the  more  con¬ 
genial  meetings  of  the  Methodists.  His  heart  was 
touched  with  their  fervent  preaching,  and  he  was  early 
converted.  For  a  time,  however,  as  he  approached 
manhood,  he  “fell  from  grace,”  as  he  expressed  it,  until, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  under  the  preaching  of  Elder 
Pangs,  he  again  came  under  religious  conviction,  and 
united  with  the  Methodist  Church.  Immediately  after¬ 
wards,  he  entered  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He 
was  licensed  as  an  exhorter,  and  took  his  first  work  as  a 
subordinate  in  the  old  Ohio  Conference  of  1835, 
was  sent  to  Mount  Clemens,  Michigan.  In  1836  his 
name  appeared  in  the  minutes  of  the  Mansfield  Confer¬ 
ence,  and  he  was  sent  to  Plymouth.  There  he  married 
Miss  Lorimer,  who  died  eight  months  later.  In  1838 
he  was  sent  to  Lyons,  the  charge  then  including  the 
territory  now  covered  by  the  thriving  village  of  Port¬ 
land.  Plere  he  assisted  at  the  funeral  of  Philo  Pogue, 
in  1839.  Two  years  later,  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Eliza 
Pogue,  by  Rev.  Allen  Staples,  since  deceased.  After 
serving  two  years  on  the  Lyons  circuit,  he  was  appointed 
Presiding  Elder  of  the  Shiawassee  District.  Four  years 
of  district  work,  in  which  he  traveled  from  Grand  Haven 
to  Saginaw,  proved  his  efficiency;  and,  at  the  expira¬ 
tion  of  the  term,  he  was  sent  as  Presiding  Elder  to  the 
Adrian  District.  He  lived  at  Adrian  three  years,  poorly 
paid,  but  setting  forth  such  grand  truths  that  there  re¬ 
main  indelibly  fixed  on  the  minds  of  those  who  heard 
him,  profound  impressions  of  the  preaching  of  Larmon 
Chatfield.  In  1848  his  health  failed,  and  he  was  placed 
upon  the  list  of  superannuates.  Two  years  and  a  half 
later,  his  health  having  improved,  he  was  re-admitted, 
and  appointed  to  Lansing.  In  the  fall  of  1853,  he  was 
transferred  to  Rock  River  Conference,  Rockford,  Illi¬ 
nois.  In  1854  he  returned  to  the  Michigan  Conference, 
and  was,  at  his  own  request,  retired  from  the  active 
work  of  the  Gospel  ministry.  His  last  attendance  at 
Conference  was  at  a  session  held  at  Three  Rivers,  in 
1868,  where  the  appearance  of  the  old  man,  whose  tall 
form  was  seen  going  forward  to  the  altar  of  that  Church 
to  which  he  had  consecrated  his  life’s  best  efforts,  is  re¬ 
membered  with  mournful  pleasure  by  many  who  were 
present.  From  this  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
July  23,  1876,  he  resided  at  Portland,  where  his  home 
was  during  the  effective  years  of  his  ministry,  and  where 
his  form  now  reposes  in  the  quiet  sleep  of  death.  In 
the  minutes  of  the  forty-first  session  of  the  Michigan 
Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
a  touching  tribute  was  paid  to  his  efficiency  as  a  preacher 
68 


and  his  character  as  a  man.  He  was  particularly  known 
as  a  doctrinal  preacher;  and,  as  a  controversialist,  he 
had  few  superiors.  Pushing  his  investigations  to  the 
utmost,  he  searched  the  word  of  God  for  his  authority, 
and  stored  his  mind  with  the  truths  which  he  found 
therein;  and,  when  occasion  required,  launched  them 
forth  in  the  thunder  of  his  arguments  against  what  he 
considered  fallacies  in  any  creed  or  doctrine.  He  would, 
in  a  sermon  of  an  hour  or  more,  probe  to  the  bottom 
the  dogmas  of  his  religious  opponents,  and  was  cele¬ 
brated  for  his  matchless  controversial  sermons  on  “Cal¬ 
vinism,”  the  “Doctrine  of  Decrees,”  and  the  “Final 
Preservation  of  the  Saints.”  For  some  time  before  his 
death,  he  made  his  home  in  Portland  with  his  son-in- 
law,  P".  G.  Lee,  of  whose  family  his  aged  wife  is  still  a 
cherished  member. 

- .<x - - 

/|  viTIAMPLIN,  BRIGADIER-GENERAL  S.  G.— 
jpj!)  Stephen  Gardner  Champlin,  Grand  Rapids,  Michi- 
gan,  was  born  July  i,  1827,  in  Kingston,  Ulster 
County,  New  York.  He  was  descended  from  the  Champ- 
lins  of  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut.  His  father, 
Jeffrey  C.  Champlin,  was  born  in  South  Kingston,  Rhode 
Island.  The  life  of  the  subject  of  this  biography  was 
varied,  and,  in  some  respects,  remarkable.  In  early  boy¬ 
hood  he  evinced  a  strong  and  vigorous  intellect,  and  a 
taste  for  reading  history.  The  local  library  of  the  school 
district  in  which  he  lived  afforded  him  an  opportunity, 
to  a  limited  extent,  of  gratifying  his  desires  in  this 
respect;  and,  before  he  had  reached  his  twelfth  year,  he 
had  read  all  the  volumes  it  contained.  He  had  famil¬ 
iarized  himself  with  the  histories  of  Rome,  Greece,  Eng¬ 
land,  France,  and  his  own  country.  That  which  most 
attracted  him,  however,  was  the  history  of  the  wars  of 
Napoleon.  He  was  as  familiar  with  the  campaigns  of 
Napoleon  as  he  was  with  his  spelling-book.  He  attended 
the  common  schools  until  the  age  of  fourteen,  when  he 
was  sent  to  the  Rhinebeck  Academy,  at  Rhinebeck, 
Dutchess  County,  New  York.  He  remained  here  but  one 
term;  and,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  entered  the  office  of  Dr. 
S.  B.  Streets,  at  Roxbury,  Delaware  County,  New  York, 
and  began  the  study  of  medicine.  At  eighteen  he  com¬ 
menced  practicing  as  a  physician,  at  Wawarsing,  Ulster 
County,  New  York.  In  this  profession  he  was  successful, 
and  built  up  an  extensive  business.  It  was  not,  how¬ 
ever,  congenial  to  his  tastes;  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  gave  up  his  practice  as  a  physician  and  entered  the 
law  office  of  Hon.  T.  R.  Westbrook,  of  Kingston,  New 
York,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law.  Pie  attended 
the  law  school  of  Professor  Fowler,  at  Ballston  Spa,  and, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  passed  a  creditable  examination 
before  the  Bench  of  the  .Supreme  Court  at  Albany.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law,  and  soon  afterward 


iS 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


opened  an  office  at  Richmond,  in  Ulster  County.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Smedes,  of  Wawarsing, 
Ulster  County,  New  York,  on  the  ist  day  of  January, 
1851.  In  1853  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
and  formed  a  copartnership  with  Lucius  Patterson,  who 
was,  at  that  time,  one  of  the  best  lawyers  in  Western 
Michigan.  Here  he  advanced  rapidly  in  his  profession. 
In  1857  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Recorder’s  Court. 
In  1858  he  was  elected,  upon  the  Democratic  ticket, 
Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Kent  County;  and,  as  an  index 
of  his  popularity,  it  may  be  stated  that  he  was  the  only 
candidate  elected  on  the  ticket, —  although  his  opponent 
was  an  able  lawyer  and  unexcej^tionable  man, —  all  the 
other  nominees  of  the  ticket  being  defeated  by  an  aver¬ 
age  of  five  hundred  majority.  He  discharged  the  duties 
of  his  office  with  great  credit  and  ability.  He  had  always 
acted  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  was  a  staunch  sup¬ 
porter  of  Mr.  Douglas  for  the  Presidency  in  i860.  At 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  in  1861,  he  enlisted, 
and  was  commissioned  a  Major  in  the  3d  Regiment  of 
Michigan  Volunteers.  This  regiment  started  for  Wash¬ 
ington  on  the  13th  day  of  June,  1861.  It  was  placed  in 
Brigadier-General  Richardson’s  Brigade.  On  account  of 
the  illness  of  the  Colonel  and  Lieutenant-Colonel,  the 
regiment  passed  to  the  command  of  Major  Champlin. 
He  was  a  good  disciplinarian,  and,  at  the  same  time,  won 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  men.  July  30,  1861, 
he  was  ordered  to  make  a  reconnoissance  in  the  direction 
of  Morrison’s  Mill.  It  resulted  in  a  sharp  skirmish  with 
the  enemy.  The  manner  in  which  he  executed  this  order 
drew  from  the  General  in  command  the  following  notice: 
“Head-quarters  Army  of  the  Potomac,  I 
Washington,  September  5,  1861.  j 
'■^Brigadier-General  Israel  B.  Richardson,  Coinmanding 

Brigade  Volunteers : 

“General — Major-General  McClellan  has  received 
Majors.  G.  Champlin’s  report  of  his  reconnoissance  and 
skirmish  on  the  30th  ultimo.  The  General  is  much  pleased 
with  Major  Champlin’s  dispositions  on  the  occasion, 
which  he  deems  eminently  proper ;  and  he  desires  you  to 
convey  his  thanks  to  Major  Champlin  for  the  efficient 
manner  in  which  this  service  was  performed.  I  have  the 
honor  to  be, 

“Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

“S.  Williams, 

‘  ‘  Assistant  Adjutant-  General.  ’  ’ 

He  was  promoted  aiul  commissioned  Colonel  of  the 
regiment  on  the  22d  day  of  October,  1861.  He  was  with 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  the  battles  of  Williamsburg 
and  Fair  Oaks,  and  was  shot  through  the  hip  at  the 
latter  place.  He  commanded  his  regiment  again  at  the 
battle  of  Groveton.  One  incident  which  occurred  at 
Fortress  Monroe  will  illustrate  the  force  of  character  of 
General  Champlin.  While  besieging  Yorktown  he  was 
prostrated  with  a  severe  attack  of  rheumatism,  by  which 
he  was  confined  to  his  room  at  Fortress  Monroe  when 
the  orders  were  given  to  advance  on  Williamsburg.  All 
expected  a  desperate  battle  there.  The  army  had  moved. 


when  Dr.  Z.  Bliss,  the  surgeon  of  the  regiment,  observed 
Colonel  Champlin’s  horse  saddled  and  hitched  in  front 
of  his  quarters.  He  hastened  to  the  ward  occupied  by 
the  Colonel,  and  found  him  hobbling  around,  and,  with 
the  greatest  difficulty,  putting  on  his  regimentals.  The 
surgeon  expostulated,  insisting  that  it  would  endanger 
his  recovery,  as  it  was  raining  at  the  time.  The  Colonel 
said  nothing,  but  still  kept  making  his  preparations. 
Finally,  the  surgeon  demanded  his  reason  for  thus  setting 
at  defiance  his  advice  and  endangering  his  own  life;  to 
which  the  Colonel  replied,  as  he  buckled  on  his  sword : 
“I  am  not  going  to  have  to  spend  any  of  the  rest  of  my 
days  in  explaining  why  I  was  not  at  the  battle  of  Williams¬ 
burg.”  He  was  with  his  regiment  at  that  battle.  He 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General  of  Volun¬ 
teers  on  the  29th  of  November,  1862.  He  had  never 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  wound  he  received  at 
Fair  Oaks.  His  health  was  undermined  by  this  and  by 
service  in  the  field.  He  obtained  leave  of  absence  for 
thirty  days  to  recruit  his  wasted  energies,  and  went  to 
his  home  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan ;  but,  instead  of 
improving,  his  disease  gradually  grew  worse,  until  the 
24th  of  January,  1864,  when  he  expired.  Thus  died  one 
of  the  purest  and  noblest  defenders  of  our  Government, 
beloved  and  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  was  a 
high  order  of  talent.  Gifted,  courteous  and  kind,  he 
endeared  himself  to  all  within  the  circle  of  his  acquaint¬ 
ance.  In  conclusion,  we  can  add  no  more  fitting  tribute 
than  that  contained  in  a  letter  written  by  Hon.  T.  R. 
Westbrook,  of  Kingston,  New  York,  to  Flon.  I.  Ilarris, 
when  the  nomination  of  Colonel  Champlin  to  a  Brigadier- 
Generalship  was  pending  before  the  Senate.  He  says : 
“I  can  say  that,  if  any  man  is  worthy  of  a  Brigadier’s 
star,  he  is.  I  know  all  about  him.  Years  ago  he  read 
law  in  my  office,  and  was  with  me  a  long  time.  I  know 
him  thoroughly  and  well.  Most  gallantly  has  he  served 
his  country,  as  his  scars  will  tell.  Among  the  first  in 
the  field,  he  has  served  faithfully  all  through.” 

- K>»— • — 


PLUTE,  LEMUEL,  I.awyer,  of  Ionia,  was  born  in 
Saratoga  County,  New  York,  August  7,  1834. 

His  parents,  Richard  and  Lucy  (Clements)  Clute, 
removed  to  Bethlehem,  Albany  County,  New  York, 
when  Lemuel  was  but  one  year  old.  He  attended  the 
primary  schools  at  the  place  of  his  birth,  and  subse¬ 
quently  took  a  scientific  course  at  the  Agricultural 
College  of  Michigan.  He  left  school  when  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  and  immediately  commenced  the  study  of 
law,  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Albert  Williams.  After  read¬ 
ing  there  three  years,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  No¬ 
vember  25,  1863.  He  then  entered  into  partnership 
with  his  jireceptor,  and  continued  with  him  three  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  formed  a  partnership  with 


J 


'^S  ■^y^'''  VViJliain3  N-’*^ 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


19 


J.  S.  Bennett,  which  lasted  two  years.  lie  has  since 
practiced  alone,  with  the  exception  of  two  years,  in 
which  he  had  one  of  his  students  as  partner.  In  1869 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
and  has  since  been  twice  re-elected.  In  1876  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen.  He  has 
always  been  one  of  the  most  public-spirited  citizens, 
doing  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
city.  When  he  was  but  ten  years  old,  he  joined  a  tem¬ 
perance  society,  and  ever  since  has  been  an  earnest 
advocate  of  the  cause.  He  has  never  taken  a  glass  of 
liquor  as  a  beverage,  and  feels  that  he  has  been  guarded 
from  it  by  his  mother’s  influence,  exerted  in  his  early 
life.  In  the  year  1854,  Mr.  Clute  commenced  an  exten¬ 
sive  round  of  travel,  visiting  South  America,  the  Sand¬ 
wich  Islands,  most  of  the  other  islands  of  the  Pacific, 
China,  Japan,  and  the  northern  coast  of  Siberia,  spend¬ 
ing  about  four  years  on  the  voyage.  Mr.  Clute’s  ideas 
of  a  religious  life  may  all  be  embraced  in  the  following: 
“Learn  to  love  what  God  loves,  and  to  dislike  what 
God  dislikes;  give  your  best  thoughts  and  most  sincere 
efforts  to  this  end;  and,  when  death  comes,  and  you  go 
before  the  Great  Father,  you  shall  not  be  turned  aside 
simply  because  you  have  not  thought  in  accordance 
with  a  rule  you  can  not  understand  nor  comprehend.” 
He  was  brought  up  a  Democrat;  has  always  voted 
the  Democratic  ticket,  and  taken  an  active  part  in  every 
campaign ;  making  public  speeches,  and  writing  for  the 
press.  He  was  married,  February  22,  1862,  to  Miss 
Ellen  McPherson,  daughter  of  William  McPherson,  of 
Ionia,  Michigan,  who  came  to  this  country  from  Scot¬ 
land,  and  settled  in  Ionia  when  quite  a  young  man. 
Mr.  Clute  has  four  children, — William,  Richard,  Lucy 
and  Robert.  “Mr.  Clute,  like  all  men  of  self-made 
prominence,”  says  an  intimate  acquaintance,  “has  char¬ 
acteristics  which  boldly  challenge  observation,  and 
clearly  explain  the  secrets  of  his  success.  He  is  of 
medium  size,  has  an  intellectual  cast  of  head,  piercing 
eyes,  thoughtful  expression,  and  a  reserved  and  dignified 
mein.  One  needs  only  to  look  at  him  to  know  that  he 
is  highly  endowed  by  nature ;  nor  has  he  buried  the 
talents  thus  entrusted  to  him,  but  has  so  used  them  that 
he  can  render  a  good  account.  Having  chosen  the  pro¬ 
fession  of  law,  and  believing  that  what  should  be  done 
at  all  should  be  well  done,  he  laid  a  good  foundation 
by  mastering  all  of  the  common,  and  many  of  the 
higher  English  branches,  and  then  turned  his  attention 
to  law  itself  in  that  thorough  and  untiring  manner 
in  which  few  have  the  disposition  or  ability  to  study. 
He,  therefore,  entered  upon  his  profession  with  high 
qualifications  and  bright  prospects.  Going  thus  into 
the  chosen  field  of  his  life-labor,  with  a  strong  and 
restless  ambition,  and  habits  of  ever-increasing  industry, — 
not  allowing  himself  to  be  enticed  from  its  honored 
paths  by  the  charms  of  politics,  which  have  led  so  many 


lawyers  into  the  fens  of  disappointment  and  ruin, — he  has 
built  up  a  practice  much  more  creditable  than  that  of 
the  average  lawyer  of  his  years.  Few  attorneys  labor 
harder,  more  zealously,  or  to  better  purpose  for  their 
clients  than  does  Mr.  Clute ;  or,  by  their  work,  confer 
greater  honor  upon  their  calling.  Pie  is  a  rapid  and 
fluent  speaker,  always  approaching  his  subject  directly; 
contenting  himself  with  reason  and  logic,  rather  than 
rhetoric  and  poetry,  and  thereby  often  securing  victory 
when  fancy  and  imagery  might  have  lost  it.  His  uniform 
good  habits  and  example  are  above  all  question,  and 
have  secured  him  a  reputation  and  position,  both  as  a 
citizen  and  a  lawyer,  which  few  enjoy.  His  special 
friendships  are  few,  but  to  those  he  is  faithful.  To  his 
domestic  ties  he  is  scrupulously  true.  He  is  devoted  to 
his  family,  feeling  no  attention  or  sacrifice  too  great  for 
them.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  public  welfare,  and 
gives  much  of  his  time  and  influence  towards  its  pro¬ 
motion.  He  is  esirecially  active  in  the  cause  of  educa¬ 
tion,  and  the  enterprises  of  his  own  city.  Although 
naturally  modest  and  retiring,  he  is  bold  at  the  call  of 
duty;  and  his  blows,  if  they  are  given,  are  dealt  with  a 
power  not  easily  resisted,  leaving  an  impress  not  readily 
removed.  He  seldom  attempts  wit  or  narration  of  anec¬ 
dote,  but  has  a  keen  relish  for  them,  when  they  fall,  chaste 
and  fresh,  from  the  lips  of  others.  He  likes  his  own 
opinions,  but  not  so  much  because  they  are  his,  as  be¬ 
cause  of  his  ability  to  defend  and  vindicate  them.  Pos¬ 
sessing  a  great  and  active  moral  element,  he  is  one  of 
the  valuable  pillars  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  of  moral 
enterprises  generally;  in  a  word,  he  is  a  man,  citizen, 
and  friend.  Few  are  better,  have  brighter  prospects,  or 
are  more  esteemed;  and  far  better  would  it  be  for  the 
world  if  there  were  more  like  him.” 

- K>. - 

COMSTOCK,  HON.  CHARLES  CARTER,  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Sullivan,  Cheshire 
'  County,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  5th  of  March, 
1818.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  during  the  winter  months,  being 
engaged  in  laboring  on  his  father’s  farm  in  summer, 
until  he  attained  his  eighteenth  year.  He  then  induced 
his  father  to  sell  the  old  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  for 
$2,800, —  then  considered  a  very  large  price  for  the 
place, —  and  purchase  another  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
eight  acres,  with  first-class  improvements,  for  ^55,000. 
Such  a  proposition,  from  so  young  a  man,  indicated  an 
enterprising  character.  By  his  help  and  good  manage¬ 
ment,  the  amount  of  his  father’s  property  was  nearly 
trebled  by  the  time  his  son  had  attained  his  majority. 
He  now  became  desirous  to  change  his  occupation,  and 
engage  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Boston ;  but  his  help 


20 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


was  too  much  needed  on  the  farm  to  admit  of  his  doing 
so.  In  1842  he  directed  his  attention  to  the  lumber 
business ;  he  built  a  saw-mill,  and  soon  owned  several. 
In  1853  he  emigrated  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  a 
town,  at  that  time,  of  only  about  three  thousand  in¬ 
habitants.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  same  business;  and, 
with  his  partners,  as  E.  F.  Ward  &  Co.,  brought  to 
Grand  Rapids  the  first  machinery  ever  used  in  that  city 
in  the  manufacture,  for  the  wholesale  market,  of  doors, 
window-sashes,  frames  and  blinds.  In  September,  1857, 
he  purchased  the  furniture  factory  and  business  of  E. 
W.  &  S.  A.  Winchester;  when,  by  partnership  compli¬ 
cations,  and  the  suspension  of  the  banks  in  that  year, 
he  was  compelled  to  make  an  assignment.  Rallying, 
however,  from  the  blow,  by  the  native  energy  of  his 
character,  he,  in  the  next  four  years,  paid  his  debts  in 
full,  and  those  of  the  parties  with  whom  he  had  been 
connected;  and,  in  1862,  inaugurated  the  first  successful 
wholesale  furniture  trade  entered  upon  at  Grand  Rapids. 
In  1863  he  sold  out  a  half  interest  in  this  business  to 
James  M.  and  Ezra  T.  Nelson.  In  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Bowles,  in  the 
manufacture  of  pails ;  and,  during  the  following  year, 
bought  his  partner’s  interest  in  that  business.  In  1865 
Mr.  Comstock  sold  his  interest  in  the  furniture  business 
to  his  son  and  two  others.  Since  then  he  has  formed 
no  partnerships.  He  is  still  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  pails,  tubs,  sashes 
and  doors.  He  has  manufactured,  on  an  average,  ten 
million  feet  of  lumber  each  year,  for  many  years.  He 
is  also  engaged  in  farming,  possessing  several  farms, 
covering  in  all  seven  hundred  acres,  most  of  which  are 
under  cultivation.  In  1863-64  Mr.  Comstock  was  Mayor 
of  Grand  Rapids.  In  1870  he  was  nominated  for  Gov¬ 
ernor  of  the  State  by  the  Democratic  party;  and,  in 
1873,  for  member  of  Congress  as  the  people’s  candidate. 
In  1840,  in  his  native  town,  he  married  Miss  Mary  M. 
Winchester,  to  whose  fidelity  and  devotion  he  attributes 
much  of  his  success.  A  devoted  Christian,  her  influence 
was  felt  in  the  tenor  of  his  whole  life.  In  1863  he  was 
called  to  mourn  her  loss.  In  1865  he  married  Mrs. 
Cornelia  Davis,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  his  present  family 
includes  two  children  by  this  union.  In  July,  1865,  he 
was  again  afflicted  by  the  loss  of  his  eldest  daughter, 
her  husband,  Albert  A.  Stone,  and  their  little  son,  who 
were  victims  of  the  awful  wreck  of  the  steamer  “Brother 
Jonathan,”  which  went  down  in  a  gale  off  the  coast  of 
California.  On  the  i6th  of  September,  1870,  Mr.  Com¬ 
stock  was  again  a  sufferer  by  the  death  of  his  only  son, 
Tileston  A.  Comstock,  in  the  twenty-seventh  year  of  his 
age,  whose  fine  business  capacity  had  early  shown 
itself.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  promise.  When  but 
nineteen  years  old,  he  had  the  entire  charge  of  his 
father’s  half-interest  in  the  large  furniture  manufactory 
of  Comstock,  Nelson  &  Co.;  and,  when  twenty-one,  pur¬ 


chased  a  quarter  interest  in  that  business.  He  w.as 
married,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Ellen,  daughter  of  Hon.  A. 
B.  Turner,  of  Grand  Rapids.  The  many  fine  qualities 
of  his  mind  and  heart  caused  him  to  be  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him.  At  the  present  time,  Mr.  Comstock’s 
philanthropy  and  public  spirit  are  manifested  in  his 
employment  of  several  hundred  men  in  his  business. 
Unlike  others  who,  within  the  past  few  years,  have 
preferred  to  divest  themselves  of  business  care  and  re¬ 
sponsibility,  by  turning  their  manufacturing  property 
into  stocks  and  bonds,  which  give  employment  to 
no  workingmen,  he  has,  at  a  great  sacrifice  to  himself, 
persisted  in  attending  to  his  large  business  engagements, 
at  but  a  modicum  of  profit  compared  with  what  he 
would  realize  as  legal  interest  on  the  same  amount  of 
capital  if  converted  into  Government  securities.  It  is 
to  such  men,  in  these  days  of  human  selfishness,  that 
all  honor  should  be  awarded :  men  who  feel  that  those 
workingmen,  artisans,  and  mechanics,  who  have  helped 
them  to  accumulate  their  wealth,  are,  under  Divine 
Providence,  yet  their  creditors ;  to  whom  they  owe  an 
obligation  that  nothing  less  than  continuing  to  afford 
them  constant  employment  for  the  support  of  themselves 
and  families,  can  repay.  No  record  of  Mr.  Comstock’s 
life  would  do  him  justice  that  did  not  make  mention  of 
his  princely  donation,  in  the  name  of  his  wife  and 
daughter,  deceased,  toward  the  building  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  at  Grand  Rapids,  of  which  they  were  members. 
It  consisted  of  twenty  city  lots,  which  have  already 
netted  the  society  some  ^7,000,  with  part  yet  undisposed 
of,  by  which  they  were  enabled  to  finish  their  beautiful 
and  commodious  house  of  worship  ;  Mr.  Comstock  has 
thus  been  the  most  liberal  donor.  This  is  but  an  illus¬ 
tration  of  the  public  spirit  for  which  he  has  been  noted 
during  his  entire  residence  in  the  city,  and  by  which  he 
has  won  for  himself  a  place  in  the  esteem  and  affections 
of  his  fellow-citizens. 


tARY,  ALFRED  X.,  Banker,  Grand  Rapids,  was 
born  at  Coventry,  Rhode  Island,  on  the  28th  of 
’  March,  1811.  His  father,  Joseph  Cary,  was 
originally  from  Connecticut.  His  mother  was  a  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Ruly  Eaton,  of  Connecticut.  Mr.  Cary  received 
his  education  at  Cherry  Valley  Academy,  Otsego  County, 
New  York.  During  the  winter  of  1829-30,  he  taught 
school;  and,  in  the  spring  of  1830,  became  clerk  in  a  dry- 
goods  store  in  Cooperstown,  New  York,  in  which  posi¬ 
tion  he  continued  two  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time, 
he  went  to  Newark,  New  York,  where  he  entered  into 
the  merchant  tailor  business  in  his  own  name.  Remain¬ 
ing  here  about  two  years,  he  removed  to  Brockport,  New 
York,  and  engaged  in  the  same  business  on  a  much 
larger  scale.  Two  years  later,  his  store  was  consumed 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


21 


by  fire.  In  1838  he  removed  to  Painesville,  Ohio,  where 
he  went  into  the  hotel  business,  and  remained  two  years 
and  a  half,  when  he  returned  to  Brockport,  and  assisted 
his  brother  in  the  collection  of  canal  tolls.  In  1843 
removed  to  Adrian,  Michigan,  engaging  in  the  dry-goods 
business,  in  which  he  continued  for  about  one  year, 
when  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  opened  a  general 
mercantile  store.  After  remaining  here  two  years,  he 
sold  his  stock  of  goods,  and  was  employed  by  Henry  R. 
Williams  as  Captain  on  a  steamboat.  He  continued  in 
this  capacity  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
he  again  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  as  proprietor  of 
the  National  Plotel,  which  then  occupied  the  ground 
where  the  Morton  House  now  stands,  at  Grand  Rapids. 
In  1852,  he  was  again  employed  on  the  steamboat,  as 
Captain,  by  H.  R.  Williams;  and,  in  1853,  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  John  Lyman  and  H.  R.  Williams,  he  bought 
the  steam  tug  “Niles,”  and  taking  it  to  Chicago,  acted 
as  Captain  for  several  months,  when  the  tug  was  sold. 
Mr.  Cary,  with  John  M.  Fox,  then  bought  the  Imperial 
Flour-Mill,  located  at  Buena  Vista,  about  twelve  miles 
from  Grand  Rapids.  He  afterward  purchased  the  inter¬ 
est  of  Mr.  Fox,  and  entered  into  a  partnership  with  R. 
M.  Collins,  the  firm  name  becoming  A.  X.  Cary  &  Co. 
This  firm  carried  on  business  for  fifteen  years,  when  Mr. 
Cary  bought  an  interest  in  the  Valley  City  Mills,  at 
Grand  Rapids,  and  carried  on  the  business  for  some 
years,  under  the  firm  name  of  Cary,  Moon  &  Collins. 
In  1870  an  interest  iti  this  mill  was  sold  to  Mr.  Barnes, 
and  the  firm  was  changed  to  A.  X.  Cary  &  Co.,  in  which 
name  it  is  still  continued.  In  1854  a  company  was 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  building  the  steamer  “Olive 
Branch,”  in  which  Mr.  Cary  had  an  interest;  with  Mr. 
William  M.  Ferry,  he  had  the  entire  direction  of  the 
work.  In  1855  he  took  passage  at  Detroit  for  Cleveland 
on  the  steamer  “  E.  R.  Collins,”  which  took  fire  when 
off  Molden,  and  burned  to  the  water’s  edge.  Mr.  Cary 
jumped  into  the  lake,  taking  with  him  a  stool,  through 
the  support  of  which  he  was  enabled  to  float  until 
picked  up  by  a  boat.  In  1870  Mr.  Cary,  with  several 
parties,  originated  the  Grand  Rapids  Savings  Bank,  of 
which  he  was  chosen,  and  still  remains.  President.  In 
1833  he  was  married  to  Sarah  Murdock,  of  Newark,  New 
York.  Their  only  son,  Charles  H.  Cary,  enlisted  in  the 
army,  during  the  year  1861,  as  a  member  of  the  3d 
Michigan  Infantry,  and  soon  after  became  Lieutenant  in 
the  signal  corps.  On  the  i8th  of  July,  1863,  he  died  at 
Jackson,  Mississippi.  Mr.  Cary’s  only  remaining  child, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  D.  Collins,  widow  of  the  late  R.  M. 
Collins,  resides  with  him.  In  politics,  Mr.  Cary  casts 
his  vote  with  the  Republican  party.  In  1848  and  1849, 
he  was  elected  Collector  and  Treasurer  of  Grand  Rapids. 
In  1863  he  was  elected  Alderman;  and,  for  about  twelve 
years,  was  connected  with  the  fire  department.  In  i860 
he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  National  Convention 


which  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  for  President  of  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Cary  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  for  twelve  years,  and  a  member  of  the 
vestry  the  greater  portion  of  this  time. 

- - 

tAULFIELD  JOPIN,  Wholesale  Grocer,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  was  born  near  Newry,  in  the  County  of 
Down,  Ireland,  December  25,  1838.  In  his  veins 
flows  the  blood  both  of  the  liberty-loving  Celt  and  the 
chivalrous  Norman;  for  his  mother’s  ancestors  were  na¬ 
tives  of  Wales,  and  belonged  to  the  Morgan  family, 
which  was  of  Norman  descent;  and  his  father’s  settled 
in  Ireland  in  the  sixteenth  century,  where  the  name 
Caulfield  became  conspicuous  in  national  affairs.  He 
attended  the  “National  School”  of  his  native  country 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  a  grocer.  As  Newry  was  a  seaport  town, 
many  stories  reached  it  of  success  in  America,  and  John 
Caulfield  longed  to  try  his  fortune  in  that  new  El  Dorado. 
At  length,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  embarked  for  the 
United  States;  and,  after  arriving  in  New  York,  went 
directly  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  There  he  entered 
the  wholesale  grocery  house  of  George  W.  Waterman, 
and  remained  in  his  employ  about  five  years.  In  1864 
he  commenced  business  for  himself  as  a  retail  grocer, 
in  the  village  of  Ada.  Soon  after,  being  convinced 
that  a  larger  field  was  needed  for  his  growing  trade,  he 
returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  formed  a  copartnership 
with  Hon.  John  Clancy  in  the  retail  grocery  business. 
After  one  year,  Mr.  Clancy,  because  of  his  extensive 
lumber  interests,  withdrew  from  the  firm.  Mr.  Caul¬ 
field  then  gradually  added  to  his  busine.ss  an  extensive 
wholesale  trade,  until  now  he  has  one  of  the  largest  and 
best  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  In  1871  his 
store  and  goods  were  destroyed  by  fire.  With  charac¬ 
teristic  energy,  he  soon  built  another  and  finer  building 
on  the  ruins  of  the  old  one;  and,  with  this  stocked  from 
basement  to  third  story,  was  soon  again  in  the  full  tide 
of  success.  He  is  also  one  of  the  largest  real  estate 
owners  in  the  city,  having  already  platted  two  additions 
to  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids.  Mr.  Caulfield  is  a  member 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  has  never  aspired 
to  political  honors.  Since  the  abolition  of  slavery,  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  Democratic  party;  but,  pre¬ 
vious  to  that  time,  was  a  Republican.  He  was  married, 
in  February,  1864,  to  Miss  Esther  Eagen.  They  have 
had  six  children,  one  son  and  five  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Caulfield  is  slender,  and  of  medium 
height.  Ilis  manner  is  genial  and  affable.  He  is  a  man 
of  strong  impulses,  correct  judgment  and  sterling  integ¬ 
rity,  and  is  widely  known  and  highly  esteemed.  He  has 
that  force  of  character  and  aggressiveness  of  disposition 
which  make  a  leader  among  men. 


22 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


«ONSAUL,  JACOB  V.,  Contractor  and  Builder, 
Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Schenectady, 

'  New  York,  October  26,  1833.  He  is  one  of  the 
thirteen  children  of  Jacob  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Van  Hor- 
man)  Consaul.  His  father  was  a  contractor  and  builder. 
He  participated  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  a  brother 
of  Colonel  Consaul,  who  was  prominently  connected  with 
the  old  stage-line,  running  from  Schenectady  to  Utica,  in 
1835.  Jacob  V.  Consaul  received  a  fair  business  educa¬ 
tion  in  the  academy  at  Jordan,  New  York.  After  leav¬ 
ing  school,  he  learned  the  carpenter’s  trade  with  his 
father;  and,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  began  working  at 
his  trade,  on  his  own  account,  in  Jordan.  Pie  afterwards 
engaged  in  boat-building,  which  he  continued  about  ten 
years.  In  December,  1863,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H., 
2d  New  York  Infantry.  He  was  wounded  at  Strawberry 
Plains,  Virginia,  in  December,  1864;  and  was,  in  con¬ 
sequence,  honorably  discharged  from  the  army.  He 
returned  home,  and  engaged  in  boat-building,  in  Chitte- 
nango.  New  York,  for  two  years.  July  20,  1867,  he 
removed  to  Grand  Haven,  where  he  has  a  wide  reputa¬ 
tion  as  a  master-builder.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
P'raternity,  the  society  of  Odd-Fellows,  and  the  Knights 
of  Honor.  He' is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  distin¬ 
guished  as  a  sympathetic,  kind,  and  benevolent  man. 
Mr.  Consaul  was  married,  May  20,  1855,  to  Miss  Roena 
M.  Snell,  of  Onondaga,  New  York.  They  have  a  family 
of  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

- K>« - 

^  ^OOK,  J.  M.,  M.  D.,  of  Mu.skegon,  was  born  near 
1/  A  Pontiac,  Oakland  County,  Michigan,  March  21, 
1841.  His  father,  M.  D.  Cook,  was  of  English 
and  Scotch  ancestry,  and  was  born  at  Hartford,  Connec¬ 
ticut,  in  1796.  PI  is  mother  w'as  of  English  descent,  and 
was  born  at  Ballston,  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  in 
1800.  P'or  several  years,  his  father  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  furniture,  at  Saratoga;  but,  at  an  early 
day,  removed  to  Michigan.  There  he  successfully  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  Soon  after  the  death  of  his  mother, 
which  occurred  in  1858,  J.  M.  Cook  left  home,  with  the 
determination  to  prepare  himself  immediately  for  the 
medical  profession.  Entering  Oxford  Seminary,  he  soon 
found  a  firm  friend  in  the  estimable  principal.  Prof. 
Taft,  whose  excellent  incentives  afforded  him  much  en¬ 
couragement.  Having  no  funds  at  his  command,  with 
which  to  defray  his  college  expenses,  he  was  compelled 
to  devote  much  of  his  time  to  the  occupation  of  teach¬ 
ing.  While  thus  engaged,  he  also  gave  some  attention 
to  the  study  of  medicine  and  surgery.  In  the  summer 
of  1862  he  discontinued  his  studies,  and  entered  the 
army,  as  a  member  of  the  5th  Michigan  Cavalry.  He 


participated  in  many  battles,  under  the  late  General 
Custer,  in  one  of  which  he  was  severely  wounded.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Trevillian’s  Depot, 
Virginia,  in  June,  1864,  and  remained  in  captivity  until 
the  following  Janttary,  when  he  made  his  escape  to  the 
Union  lines,  at  Jacksonville,  Florida.  Pie  remained  in 
service  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  then  resumed  his 
medical  studies  with  the  late  M.  L.  Green,  M.  D.,  of 
Pontiac,  Michigan.  Pie  studied  thus  three  summers, 
spending  the  remainder  of  each  year  at  the  Medical 
Department  of  Michigan  University,  and  Rush  Medical 
College,  at  Chicago.  He  graduated  from  the  latter  insti¬ 
tution  in  the  spring  of  1868.  In  August,  of  the  same 
year,  he  settled  in  Muskegon,  Michigan.  Plere  he  soon 
gained  many  friends  and  a  lucrative  practice;  and  is 
now  one  of  the  leading  physicians  in  that  part  of  the 
State.  Since  residing  in  Muskegon,  he  has  spent  three 
winters  at  the  medical  colleges  and  hospitals  of  New 
York,  Philadelphia  and  Ann  Arbor,  in  order  to  keep 
pace  with  the  rapidly  growing  science.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  is  United 
States  Examining  Surgeon. 


^  y  OOK,  RUFUS  R.,  late  of  Otisco,  was  born  Sep- 
Y  tember  ii,  1811,  at  Plartland,  Connecticut.  When 
he  was  three  or  four  years  old,  his  parents  moved  to 
Rome,  New  York,  and  from  there  to  Bergen,  in  the  same 
State,  where  he  lived  until  he  was  eighteen.  In  1829  he 
moved,  with  his  parents,  to  the  Territory  of  Michigan, 
and  settled  in  Avon,  Oakland  County.  In  1837,  in  com¬ 
pany  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  L.  Morse,  and  Amos 
and  William  Russell,  he  started  on  a  prospecting  tour. 
They  left  their  teams  at  a  point  on  Looking-glass  River, 
about  three  miles  west  of  Longsbury,  Shiawassee  County, 
where  they  built  a  boat  out  of  material  brought  with 
them.  In  this  they  were  four  days  in  reaching  the  mouth 
of  Flat  River.  From  there  they  traveled  on  foot  to  the 
Burr-Oak  Plains,  in  Otisco,  where  they  made  locations; 
Mr.  Cook  taking  the  land  where  a  village  commemorates 
his  name.  Here  he  and  Mr.  Morse  erected  a  shelter;  but, 
after  winter  had  fairly  set  in,  they  went  home,  on  foot. 
In  February  they  returned,  with  their  wives,  and  the 
young  lads,  C.  F.  Morse  and  Calvin  Gage;  taking  also  a 
span  of  horses,  nineteen  head  of  cattle,  eighteen  swine, 
and,  as  they  supposed,  money  enough  to  carry  them 
through  to  harvest  time.  Nine  days  of  traveling,  in  ex¬ 
tremely  cold  weather,  brought  them  to  P.yons,  where  they 
found  themselves  unable  to  pay  the  tavern  bill,  as  they 
had  no  money  which  the  landlord  would  take,  the  first 
intimation  they  had  of  the  “wildcat  collapse.”  They 
were,  therefore,  obliged  to  run  in  debt,  but  paid  their 
bills  the  next  fall,  when  the  sale  of  cattle  gave  them  some 
money  that  had  a  value.  In  the  winter  of  1839,  Messrs. 


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A. 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


23 


Cook,  Morse,  Lincoln,  and  the  Baldwin  brothers,  built 
the  first  saw-mill  in  Montcalm  County.  It  had  a  capacity 
for  cutting  three  or  four  thousand  feet  a  day,  which,  at 
that  time,  was  considered  quite  large.  They  sent  their 
lumber  down  the  Flat  and  Grand  rivers  on  rafts,  and 
sold  it  at  Grand  Rapids  for  goods.  This  was  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  vast  lumber  business  on  Flat  River.  In 
1846  Mr.  Cook  bought  the  hotel  at  the  “Corners,”  which 
became  famous  for  its  anniversary  balls.  In  a  few  years 
Mr.  Cook  became  a  trader  and  general  business  man. 
He  was  possessed  of  good  business  qualifications;  was  a 
good  judge  of  men,  and  had  more  than  common  influence 
over  them.  He  was  highly  esteemed  and  honored  by  the 
community,  having  held,  for  about  thirty-five  years,  the 
position  of  Postmaster.  He  was  also  Justice  of  the  Peace 
the  greater  part  of  that  time;  was  Supervisor  a  number 
of  years,  and  held  other  positions.  Through  all  his  life 
he  was  the  recipient  of  the  most  responsible  and  delicate 
trusts,  which  were  never  abused ;  and,  although  he  held 
so  many  positions,  he  never  sought  office  for  himself. 
When  he  worked  for  others,  however,  he  had  great 
power.  Mr.  Cook  was  a  representative  man  among  the 
early  settlers  of  the  Grand  River  Valley.  Pie  was  public- 
spirited,  and  contributed  largely,  in  many  ways,  to  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  the  country,  and  was  well  known 
throughout  Ionia,  Kent  and  Montcalm  counties.  He 
was  destined  by  nature  to  be  an  influential  man  in  any 
community  in  which  his  lot  might  be  cast.  Mr.  Cook 
was  married,  January  2,  1834,  to  Miss  Cordelia  W.  Cowles. 
He  died  at  his  home,  in  Otisco,  January  6,  1875,  in  the 
sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  mourned  by  the  entire 
community. 


/ilpOOPER,  GEORGE  SAMSON,  Merchant,  of  Ionia, 
1 J,  A  was  born  at  Paris,  Oxford  County,  Maine,  Jan- 
uary  27,  1830.  Both  his  parents  were  of  New 
Plngland  birth.  His  father,  John  Cooper,  was  a  native 
of  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  and  was  descended  from  the 
early  English  settlers;  and  his  mother,  Rebecca  (Mat¬ 
thews)  Cooper,  a  native  of  Sumner,  Maine,  was  also 
of  Puritan  ancestry,  her  family  having  resided  at  New- 
berryport,  Massachusetts,  for  several  generations.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Cooper  were  in  moderate  circumstances, 
his  father  being  an  industrious  and  persevering  agricul- 
urist,  who,  by  his  energy  and  integrity,  had  won  the 
esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  ,Mr.  Cooper  received  his 
preliminary  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
town,  which  he  attended  until  seventeen  years  of  age. 
At  that  time,  following  out  the  bent  of  his  inclination 
for  business,  he  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  served 
his  novitiate  in  mercantile  life  in  a  general  store,  where 
he  remained  for  eighteen  months.  Desiring  to  finish  liis 
education,  he  then  entered  South  Paris  Academy,  from 


which  he  graduated  eighteen  months  later.  Feeling  him¬ 
self  now  thoroughly  fitted  to  battle  with  the  vicissitudes 
of  life,  he  served  another  clerkship  of  one  year  in  Bos¬ 
ton,  and  then  returned  to  his  native  town,  where  he  was 
married.  The  lady  of  his  choice  was  Miss  Florinda 
Royal,  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  Solon  Royal,  a  clergy¬ 
man  of  the  P'ree-will  Baptist  denomination.  He  has 
been  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  for  thirty  years;  and, 
during  that  time,  has  had  pastoral  charge  of  several 
churches  in  New  England.  Two  years  later,  Mr.  Cooper, 
following  the  example  of  a  great  many  who  had  preceded 
him  to  the  West,  left  his  Eastern  home,  and  removed  to 
Dartford,  Greenlake  County,  Wisconsin,  in  the  fall  of 
1854.  Here  he  opened  a  general  mercantile  store,  and 
transacted  a  successful  business  there  for  six  years.  But 
Mr.  Cooper  was  too  enterprising  a  business  man  to  be 
content  with  the  opportunities  for  development  which 
Dartford  afforded;  and,  in  i860,  he  removed  to  Ionia, 
Michigan,  where  he  immediately  settled  down  to  busi¬ 
ness.  Mindful  of  his  New  England  origin,  he  adopted 
for  his  trade  mark  the  title  of  “New  England  Store,” 
and  this  distinguishing  name  is  still  prominent  in  Ionia 
County.  He  conducted  his  business  alone,  with  marked 
success,  until  1865,  when  he  took  in  as  partner  his  brother- 
in-law,  I.  M.  Thayer.  Since  then,  his  business  has  been 
conducted  under  the  fii'm  name  of  Cooper  &  Thayer, 
and  is  to-day  the  leading  dry-goods  and  carpet  house  in 
Ionia  County.  A  public-spirited  citizen,  Mr.  Cooper 
has  often  been  called  from  his  business  to  serve  in  an 
official  capacity.  In  the  years  1871-72,  before  Ionia  was 
organized  as  a  city,  he  filled  the  position  of  President  of 
the  town,  and  has  since  been,  for  eight  years,  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Aldermen.  In  1866  he  was  appointed  United 
States  Assessor,  by  President  Johnson,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Committee  for 
two  terms.  He  has  also  been  actively  identified  with 
the  financial  and  educational  interests  of  the  town,  and 
an  earnest  supporter  of  any  enterprise  calculated  to 
improve  its  condition  and  prospects.  For  a  number  of 
years,  he  was  a  Trustee  of  the  First  National  Bank,  and 
was  elected  its  first  Vice-President.  During  the  con¬ 
struction  of  what  is  now  called  the  D.  L.  &  N.  R.  R., 
he  filled  the  position  of  Director  of  the  road.  He  is 
now  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  to  which  he  was 
elected  in  1877.  In  the  society  of  Free-Masons,  he  has 
been  an  active  member  since  1863,  and  has  passed  through 
the  Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter  degrees,  and  also  the  En¬ 
campment  of  Knights  Templar.  He  has  filled  the  offices 
of  Junior  and  Senior  Warden  in  the  Blue  I.odge,  and  has 
been  Generalissimo  in  the  Encampment.  Although 
brought  up  in  the  Baptist  faith,  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  twenty-one 
years;  and,  for  fifteen  years  of  that  time,  has  been 
Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school.  He  is  now 
an  ordained  elder,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 


24 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


tees  of  his  church.  In  politics,  he  has  always  coincided 
with  the  /principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  although 
he  twice  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  secret  of 
Mr.  Cooper’s  success  has  been  his  innate  shrewdness  and 
capacity  for  business,  his  inexhaustible  fund  of  energy 
and  perseverance,  and  his  unflinching  honesty;  these, 
added  to  his  unvarying  courtesy  and  kindly  demeanor, 
contribute  to  make  him  a  successful  merchant,  a  useful 
citizen,  a  kind  neighbor,  a  benevolent  friend.  He  lives 
handsomely  in  a  beautiful  residence  which  he  built  in 
the  suburbs  of  Ionia.  They  have  no  children.  Mr. 
Cooper’s  parents  are  still  living,  and  settled  near  their 
son  in  Ionia. 

•o< 

« READER,  CAPT.  MARVIN  HENRY,  of  Grand 
Haven,  Michigan,  was  born  May  i,  1836,  in 
Auburn,  Geauga  County,  Ohio.  Plis  parents 
were  of  English  and  German  descent,  and  both  were 
natives  of  New  York.  His  education,  begun  in  the 
common  schools,  was  completed  at  the  Western  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute,  Hiram,  Ohio.  He  taught,  after  leav¬ 
ing  school,  first  in  Ohio,  and  afterwards  in  Michigan. 
In  1871  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and  the 
manufacture  of  furniture.  The  following  year,  losses  by 
fire  necessitated  his  return  to  teaching  In  1872  he 
was  elected  Treasurer  of  Ottawa  County;  and,  by  con¬ 
tinued  re-elections,  has  held  the  office  to  the  present 
time.  Shortly  after  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  began, 
he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  F,  of  the  Second 
Michigan  Cavalry,  commanded  by  General  Sheridan. 
He  received  his  commission,  as  Captain,  at  Waterloo, 
Alabama,  in  the  winter  of  1864-65.  He  then  served 
under  General  McCook  as  Aid-de-camp  and  Inspector- 
General  of  his  division.  This  division  captured  a  fort 
from  the  rebels,  at  West  Point,  on  the  Chattahooche, 
April  16,  1865,  a  week  after  the  surrender  of  General 
Lee, — of  which  fact  they  knew  nothing,  as  they  were 
cut  off  from  communication  with  the  Union  Army. 
After  the  surrender.  Captain  Creager  was  ordered  by 
General  McCook,  to  Tallahassee,  Florida,  to  receive  the 
ordnance  and  military  property  in  that  State.  He  was 
detailed,  subsequently,  at  Edgefield,  Tennessee,  as 
Judge-Advocate,  at  a  general  court-martial  convened 
there.  He  participated  in  nearly  all  the  important 
battles,  sieges,  skirmishes,  and  marches  of  his  noted 
regiment.  He  was  mustered  out  of  service,  at  Jackson, 
on  the  1st  of  September,  1865.  Captain  Creager  has 
always  been  an  active  member  of  the  Republican  party. 
During  1876-77  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Ottawa  County 
Republican  Committee.  November  18,  1866,  he  married 
Alma  Eldred,  of  Delta,  Ohio.  She  died  March  15,  1874. 
December  31,  1874,  he  married  Mary  Paine,  of  Sparta, 
Michigan- 


«ORNEI-L,  REV.  ALFRED,  of  Ionia,  Michigan, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Eaton,  Madison  County, 
waj  '  New  York,  July  7,  1813.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Rhode  Island.  They  lived  for  many  years  in 
Morrisville,  New  York,  and  then  removed  to  Michigan. 
Dr.  Cornell  received  his  education  at  Madison  Univer¬ 
sity,  Hamilton,  New  York.  After  leaving  the  university, 
he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry,  and  was  pastor  of  a 
church  in  Macedon,  Wayne  County,  two  years.  He 
removed,  in  1845,  to  Ionia;  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  there  seventeen  years.  After  four  years  in  Nor¬ 
walk,  Ohio,  the  Baptist  Church  at  Ionia  invited  him  to 
resume  his  pastoral  duties  with  them,  and  he  accepted 
for  the  brief  period  of  two  years,  when  he  resigned,  and 
took  charge  of  a  church  in  Smyrna.  At  the  end  of  four 
years,  he  went  to  Portland,  where  he  remained  until,  in 
1877,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Chaplain  in  charge 
of  the  State  Prison  at  Ionia.  He  occupied  many  subor¬ 
dinate  offices  before  entering  the  ministry.  In  1836, 
when  the  land  office  was  located  at  Ionia,  he  was  de¬ 
tailed  to  carry  from  ^100,000  to  ^150,000  to  Detroit  for 
safe-keeping.  With  a  team  of  oxen  and  a  wagon  he 
forded  the  streams,  picked  his  way  through  the  heavy 
timbered  land,  and  delivered  the  money  safely.  In  the 
winters  of  1848  and  1849,  he  was  elected  Chaplain  of  the 
House  of  Representatives.  Although  educated  a  Demo¬ 
crat,  he  joined  the  Republican  party  at  its  formation, 
and  has  since  voted  for  its  candidates.  He  was  married, 
December  2,  1836,  to  Amanda,  daughter  of  Judge  Yeo¬ 
mans,  of  Ionia.  She  died  in  1862,  leaving  five  children. 
Two  sons  were  in  the  army.  The  eldest,  a  brave  and 
gallant  soldier,  was  killed,  while  charging  at  the  head  of 
his  company,  before  Petersburg,  when  Burnside  blew  up  a 
fort  there.  Mr.  Coimell  married  again,  in  December, 
1863,  Katie  Mason,  of  Ripley,  Chautauqua  County,  New 
York. 

- KX - 

tROSS,  MORRIS  J.,  Lawyer,  of  Grand  Haven  was 
the  son  of  Jesse  and  Margaret  (Davis)  Cross,  and 
was  born  in  Grantham,  Sullivan  County,  New 
Hampshire,  February  24,  1831.  His  grandfather  was 
conspicuous  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Plis  father  was 
a  Baptist  clergyman,  and  had  six  children.  He  was  a 
man  of  exceedingly  fine  personal  appearance,  and  pos¬ 
sessed  great  power  and  vigor.  His  ancestry  were 
remarkable  for  fine  physiques,  longevity,  and  buoyancy 
of  spirit.  His  early  education  was  obtained,  entirely, 
through  his  own  exertions.  He  took  a  thorough  literary 
and  theological  course  of  study,'  and  attained  proficiency 
in  classical  and  scientific  branches,  of  which  he  was 
decidedly  fond.  When  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he 
read  law  quite  extensively,  becoming  familiar,  in  an 
unusual  degree,  with  the  laws  of  various  civilized  nations. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


25 


After  completing  his  studies,  he  entered  upon  the  work 
of  the  ministry.  He  preached  for  two  years  at  Fisher- 
ville,  New  Hampshire,  a  beautiful  village  on  the 
Contoocook  River,  which  constituted  the  northern  ward 
of  the  city  of  Concord,  where  he  was  loved  by  his  people 
and  esteemed  by  his  associates.  After  about  two  years’ 
strenuous  labor,  his  health  failed,  and  an  hereditary 
pulmonary  disease  showed  itself,  which  he  succeeded  in 
arresting,  however,  by  physical  exercise,  including  a 
system  of  gymnastics.  In  the  fall  of  1858,  he  accepted  a 
call  from  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Urbana,  Champaign 
County,  Ohio,  where  his  services  were  highly  appre¬ 
ciated.  In’  the  spring  of  i860,  he  returned  to  Massa¬ 
chusetts,  and  was  married,  April  12,  to  Lucinda  C.  Noyes, 
a  lady  of  culture,  who  died  November  30,  1872.  Her 
death  was  greatly  mourned;  her  life  had  been  filled 
with  sunshine  and  beauty.  Mr.  Cross  was  next  settled 
at  P'indlay,  Ohio,  over  a  thriving  Presbyterian  Church. 
After  about  four  years,  feeling  that  the  pressure  of  the 
climate  was  injuring  him,  he  decided  to  go  farther  West. 
Previous  to  his  departure,  he  received  a  very  handsome 
gold  watch,  suitably  inscribed,  from  the  people  of  his 
church,  as  a  token  of  their  love  and  gratitude.  He 
removed  to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  October  6,  1869, 
where  he  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
for  a  time,  until  failing  health  compelled  him  to  resign 
the  position.  After  a  season  of  rest,  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  Stephen  L.  Lowing,  in  the  spring 
of  1872.  They  carried  on  an  extensive  law  business,  in 
which  they  are  still  engaged.  This  step  was  not  taken 
without  thought.  Mr.  Cross  felt  the  responsibility  of 
abandoning  his  ministerial  work,  but  the  state  of  his 
health  compelled  him  to  give  up  public  preaching.  He 
is  a  man  whose  integrity  is  beyond  question.  He  has 
represented  the  Presbytery  on  several  occasions  at  the 
General  Assembly,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  all 
religious  progress.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Demo¬ 
crat.  He  has  never  solicited  official  position,  and  has 
held  no  offices  except  those  connected  with  the  educa¬ 
tional  interests  of  the  country.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent 
social  qualities,  having  an  inexhaustible  supply  of 
humorous  anecdotes  and  a  flow  of  wit.  He  is  remarkable 
for  his  indomitable  will,  and  is  an  exemplary  and  honored 
citizen. 

/ijf^UTLER,  HON.  DWIGHT,  Lumber  Manufacturer 
and  Capitalist,  was  born  in  Amherst,  Massachu- 
setts,  November  14,  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Dr. 
Isaac  G.  and  Nancy  (Hastings)  Cutler.  Dr.  Cutler  was 
one  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  and  surgeons  of  his 
day;  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  had  an  extensive  prac¬ 
tice  that  continued  until  his  death,  which  occurred  when 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  four  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Hastings,  his  grandfather,  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
5i) 


tiers  in  Amherst.  Mr.  Cutler  was  educated  in  Williston 
Seminary,  Easthampton,  Massachusetts,  and  at  Amherst, 
receiving  a  special  course  of  instruction.  When  about 
eighteen  yeai's  of  age  he  removed  to  Grand  Haven, 
Michigan,  and  went  into  the  employ  of  Gilbert  &  Co., 
forwarding  and  commission  merchants.  After  remaining 
in  that  capacity  three  years,  he  commenced  business  for 
himself,  by  buying  out  his  employers’  store  and  forward- 
ing  business,  which  he  carried  on  for  six  years  with 
success.  During  this  period  he  purchased  a  number  of 
vessels,  both  sail  and  steam,  which  were  used  in  con¬ 
nection  with  his  business.  In  i860  Mr.  Cutler  com¬ 
menced  the  lumber  manufacturing  business  with  Mr. 
Hunter  Savidge,  of  Spring  Lake, — a  village  two  miles 
distant  from  Grand  Haven,- — buying  a  saw-mill,  known 
as  the  old  Hopkins’  mill.  Since  then  they  have  bought 
one  mill,  built  another,  and  formed  a  stock  company, 
with  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  paid-up  capital.  The 
name  of  the  firm  is  Cutler  &  Savidge  Lumber  Com¬ 
pany;  Mr.  Savidge  being  President,  and  Mr.  Cutler 
Treasurer.  It  is  the  largest  lumber  manufacturing  firm 
in  Western  Michigan.  They  have  handled  upwards  of 
forty  million  feet  of  lumber  in  one  season,  but  average 
about  thirty  million  feet  annually.  They  have  a  large 
wholesale  lumber-yard  in  Michigan  City,  Indiana.  They 
ship  their  lumber  to  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States, 
while  their  mills  give  employment  to  about  two  hundred 
men  during  most  of  the  year.  They  own  extensive  tracts 
'of  fine  land,  tributary  to  Grand  River.  In  1872  Mr. 
Cutler  erected  the  largest  and  finest  hotel  building  in 
the  State  of  Michigan.  It  stands  on  Washington  street, 
in  Grand  Haven;  is  an  ornament  to  the  city,  and 
is  known  abroad  as  a  Grand  Haven  summer  resort.  It 
was  named  for  himself,  being  called  the  Cutler 
House;  and  cost,  including  furniture,  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  The  architecture  of  the  building  is 
beautiful,  defying  criticism;  and  the  inner  appointments 
are  excellent.  In  1870-71,  Mr.  Cutler  was  elected 
Mayor  of  the  city,  and  has  filled  the  office  of  School 
Trustee  for  nearly  twenty  years.  He  never  aspired, 
however,  to  the  honors  of  public  position,  having  de¬ 
clined  to  accept  any  of  the  State  or  National  offices  his 
friends  proffered  him.  In  politics  he  is  independent, 
voting  for  those  whom  he  considers  the  best  men.  His 
religious  views  are  embodied  in  the  belief  of  the  Unitarian 

o 

Church,  of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  was  married, 
February  16,  1858,  to  Miss  Francis  E.  Slayton,  of  Stowe, 
Vermont.  A  family  of  five  children  have  been  born  to 
them, — one  son  and  four  daughters.  Mr.  Cutler  is  a 
gentleman,  respected  and  appreciated  by  all  who  know 
him.  He  is  possessed  of  excellent  judgment,  irreproach¬ 
able  moral  character,  and  fine  business  qualifications. 
During  his  first  year  in  Michigan,  he  worked  for  fifty 
dollars  and  his  board.  He  commenced  business  on 
an  inconsiderable  capital;  and  when,  in  i860,  he  and 


26 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


Mr.  Savidge  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade,  their  early 
experience  qualified  them  for  the  success  which  attends 
their  large  and  constantly  increasing  business.  Mr.  Cut¬ 
ler  is  now  forty-seven  years  of  age,  and  in  the  full  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  health.  For  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  help 
toward  building-  up  the  material  interests  of  Grand 
Haven,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  life  may  long  be 
spared  to  still  further  promote  the  prosperity  of  the 
city. 

—  «o« 

«OOKE,  REV.  GEORGE  W.,  of  Grand  Haven, 
Michigan,  was  born  April  23,  1848,  in  Comstock, 
Kalamazoo  County,  Michigan.  His  parents  were 
originally  from  the  East.  They  gave  him  such  school 
advantages,  in  his  childhood,  as  a  farming  community 
afforded.  After  Mr.  Cook  was  eighteen,  he  spent  one 
year  in  the  Preparatory  Department  of  Olivet  College, 
and  three  years  at  the  Jefferson  Liberal  Institute.  A 
portion  of  this  time  he  was  teaching  in  Hebron  and 
Jefferson,  and  editing  a  school  journal.  He  was  en¬ 
gaged,  one  year,  as  Principal  of  the  Public  School  at 
Rochester,  Wisconsin,  and  then  entered  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  In  1872  he  took 
charge  of  the  Unitarian  Church,  at  Sheboygan,  Wis¬ 
consin;,  and,  afterward,  preached  at  Sharon,  Darien, 
Elkhorn  and  Palmyra.  In  this  missionary  work  he 
continued  three  years.  He  organized  the  Unitarian 
Society  of  Sharon,  and  what  is  now  the  Universalist 
Church  of  Elkhorn,  and  preached  wherever  he  could 
obtain  a  hearing.  To  aid  in  this  missionary  work,  he 
founded  the  Liberal  Worker  in  1874.  This  publication 
obtained  a  wide  circulation  among  the  Western  Uni¬ 
tarians.  In  December,  1875,  merged  into  the 

Spectroscope,  of  Milwaukee,  of  which  Mr.  Cooke  con¬ 
tinued  associate  editor  as  long  as  it  was  published.  He 
has  written  for  various  newspapers  on  literary,  social 
and  religious  topics.  He  is  a  frequent  contributor  to 
the  Grand  Rapids  Evening  Post,  the  Inquirer,  The 
Golden  Age,  the  Herald  of  Health,  of  New  York,  and 
The  Nexv  Covenant,  of  Chicago.  In  February,  1876,  he 
became  pastor  of  the  Unitarian  Church  at  Grand  Haven, 
Michigan,  and  has  succeeded  in  building  up  a  strong 
society.  He  is  an  interested  student  of  the  scientific 
literature  of  the  times,  and  one  of  the  few  clergymen 
who  accept  evolution  as  the  only  true  theory  of  the 
universe.  He  is  largely  imbued  with  the  scientific 
theories  of  the  day,  but  interprets  them  in  the  light  of 
spiritual  philosophy.  In  1877  he  delivered  a  course  of 
lectures  on  the  Bible;  its  origin,  and  the  nature  of  its 
contents.  In  January,  1878,  Mr.  Cooke  began  a  series 
of  articles  in  The  Evolution,  of  New  York,  on  “The 
Evolution  of  Religion.”  The  subjects  treated  were  the 
origin  and  development  of  religious  ideas;  the  origin 


of  Judaism  and  Christianity;  the  relations  of  the  great 
religions  to  one  another;  the  origin  of  morality,  and  the 
fundamental  ideas  of  religion  as  viewed  by  science. 
The  object  of  these  essays  is  to  show  how  modern 
thought  and  scholarship  deal  with  the  questions  of 
religion,  and  to  summarize  the  conclusions  reached  by 
the  scientific  and  critical  schools  in  treating  such  prob¬ 
lems.  They  are  also  to  appear  in  pamphlet  form  at 
once,  and  are  to  be  put  into  a  volume  when  com¬ 
pleted.  At  about  the  same  time  Mr.  Cooke  assisted  in 
starting  the  Pamphlet  Mission  for  Freedom  and  Fellcnv- 
ship  in  Religion,  a  fortnightly  publication  of  sermons 
and  essays,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  editors.  Of  his 
oft-repeated  lectures  on  the  origin  of  religious  ideas, 
the  Grand  Rapids  Saturday  Evenmg  Post  i,7vq%\  “They 
are  of  great  interest,  and  contain  the  results  of  earnest 
study  and  thought.”  The  same  paper  again  says:  “He 
is  a  most  diligent  student,  and  as  a  careful  and  thorough 
thinker,  speaker  and  writer,  has  made  a  good  impression 
in  our  section.”  In  a  communication  to  the  Liberal 
Christian,  of  New  York,  Rev.  J.  T.  Sunderland,  of 
Chicago,  said,  in  giving  an  account  of  a  conference 
held  in  Grand  Haven,  in  July,  1876:  “Few  men  in 
our  liberal  ranks  in  the  Northwest  have  worked  their 
way  into  higher  and  more  general  esteem,  at  least 
among  us  ministers,  than  George  W.  Cooke,  now  pastor 
of  the  Unitarian  Church  at  Grand  Haven.  He  came 
West  immediately  from  the  Meadville  Divinity  School, 
some  four  years  ago,  and  plunged  into  hard  missionary 
work;  organizing  a  new  society  at  Sharon,  Wisconsin; 
preaching  a  great  deal  in  Southern  Wisconsin  and 
Northern  Illinois;  often  in  places  where  Liberal  Chris¬ 
tianity  had  never  been  heard  before  ;  and  finally  starting 
and  carrying  on  for  a  year  or  two, — with  an  amount  of 
energy  and  success  which  were  remarkable, — his  paper. 
The  Liberal  Worker P 

- - 

/fULARK,  HON.  MERRILS  IL,  Editor  and  Pro- 
l/Uj\  prietor  of  the  Grand  Rapids  Daily  and  Weekly 
Democrat,  was  born  in  North  Almond,  Alleghany 
County,  New  York,  on  the  2d  of  September,  1826.  His 
parents,  Lawrence  and  Lydia  (Messenger)  Clark,  were 
natives  of  New  York  State,  and,  in  1810,  settled  in  Alle¬ 
ghany  County.  His  father  was  an  active  participant  in  the 
war  of  1812.  In  1835  the  subject  of  this  sketch  removed 
with  his  parents  to  La  Grange  County,  Indiana,  and 
there  remained,  working  on  his  father’s  farm,  until  he 
attained  his  thirteenth  year.  At  that  time,  having  a 
great  desire  to  obtain  an  education,  he  was  permitted 
to  leave  home.  He  went  to  White  Pigeon,  Michigan, 
and  worked  for  his  board,  attending  school  at  the  branch 
of  the  Michigan  University  there  located.  Of  this  branch. 
Professor  Samuel  Newberry  was  principal;  who,  being 


RErRESENTATIVE-  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


27 


made  acquainted  with  young  Clark’s  eagerness  to  acquire 
an  education,  granted  him  his  tuition  free.  He  remained 
under  these  circumstances  at  White  Pigeon  three  years, 
and  then  entered  the  office  of  the  White  Pigeon  Repub¬ 
lican  to  learn  the  printing  business,  remaining  there 
two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  went  to  Ann 
Arbor,  with  the  intention  of  finishing  his  course  at 
the  University.  Subsequently,  however,  he  determined 
to  make  himself  master  of  the  printing  business,  and 
entered  a  printing  house,  where  he  continued,  work¬ 
ing  steadily,  during  the  following  eight  years.  He  then 
married  Miss  Marilla  L.,  daughter  of  John  and  Electa 
Monroe,  of  Ann  Arbor,  and  decided  to  begin  business 
on  his  own  account,  an  opportunity  having  offered  at 
Owasso,  Shiawasse  County.  He  went  there  and  bought 
a  printing  press  and  the  necessary  materials  with  which 
to  print  a  newspaper.  Then,  returning  to  Ann  Arbor, 
he  removed  to  Owasso  with  his  wife,  where,  in  June, 
1847,  he  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Owasso 
Argus,  a  Democratic  weekly  newspaper.  The  next  year, 
he  raised  the  name  of  General  Lewis  Cass  as  his  nomi¬ 
nee  for  President.  He  was  very  successful  in  business ; 
and,  in  1850,  removed  his  office  to  Corunna,  which  had, 
meantime,  been  established  as  the  county  seat.  Mr. 
Clark  remained  at  Corunna  until  1857,  when,  selling 
out  his  business  at  a  fair  price,  he  removed  to  Omaha, 
Nebraska.  There  he  began,  and  continued  for  several 
years,  the  publication  of  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Ncbras- 
kian,  the  leading  Democratic  journal  in  the  Territory, 
and  the  first  daily  paper  published  west  of  the  Missis¬ 
sippi  River  above  St.  Joseph.  While  thus  engaged,  he 
obtained  the  public  printing  of  the  Territory,  which  he 
retained  until  after  the  inauguration  of  President  Lin¬ 
coln.  During  his  residence  of  seven  years  at  Omaha, 
Mr.  Clark  was  twice  elected  a  Representative  from 
Douglas  County  to  the  Territorial  Assembly;  once  as  a 
Democrat,  and  again  as  a  Union  candidate.  In  1863, 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  existence  of  the  Union  was 
seriously  threatened,  he  discarded  the  political  principles 
previously  advocated  in  his  paper,  and  sustained  the 
administration  of  President  Lincoln  in  upholding  the 
unity  of  the  States  against  secession.  The  following 
year,  being  desirous  of  returning  to  Michigan,  Mr. 
Clark  sold  out  his  business  in  Omaha,  and  removed,  tem¬ 
porarily,  to  Detroit,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  months, 
to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  became  proprietor  and  editor 
of  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Democrat,  which  he  has  since 
conducted.  Under  his  management,  from  being  an 
uninfluential  publication,  it  has  become  the  leading 
Democratic  journal  of  Western  Michigan,  second  only 
to  the  Detroit  Free  P?-css  in  State  influence  and  circula¬ 
tion.  Connected  for  thirty  years  with  the  newspaper 
press,- — twenty-three  of  those  years  with  the  press  of 
Michigan,- — Mr.  Clark  may  be  considered  a  veteran  jour¬ 
nalist,  and  truly  a  self-made  man.  By  his  press  and  pen, 


he  has  aided  largely  in  developing  the  material  interests 
of  the  State.  He  is  esteemed  by  his  constituents,  who 
are  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  is  regarded  as  an  able 
exponent  of  their  political  views. 

- - - 

Jpl|AVIS,  JOHN  T.,  Real  Estate  Dealer  and  Capi- 
talist,.  was  the  son  of  David  and  Esther  (Evans) 
Davis,  and  was  born  in  Carmarthen,  Wales, 
August  I,  1821.  Pie  landed  in  America  in  1842,  after  a 
severe  voyage  of  nine  weeks,  in  which,  on  three  sepa¬ 
rate  occasions,  the  ship  was  obliged  to  raise  its  signal  of 
distress  in  order  to  obtain  the  necessities  of  life.  His 
elementary  education  was  obtained  in  Wales,  where,  at 
an  early  age,  he  displayed  a  business  ability,  which  he 
has  developed  and  successfully  used.  After  his  arrival 
in  America,  he  spent  about  two  years  in  Ohio,  and  then 
removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  remained 
a  year  and  six  months.  In  1846  he  removed  to  Grand 
Haven,  where  he  has  since  carried  on  an  extensive  real 
estate  business.  He  has  also  been  interested  in  a  beau¬ 
tiful  fruit-farm  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city.  He  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  enterprises  for  public  improvement,  and 
has  always  contributed  liberally  to  whatever  tended  to 
benefit  the  State  or  his  fellow-men.  He  was  married  in 
Harrison,  Lincoln  County,  Ohio,  October  17,  1847,  to 
Nancy  Evans,  who  died  May  7,  1871,  leaving  one  son. 
Mr.  Davis  was  again  married,  in  March,  1874,  to  Maggie 
G.  Owens,  of  Waukesha,  Wisconsin.  Between  the  years 
1871  and  1874,  he  amassed,  by  constant  industry,  a  con¬ 
siderable  fortune.  In  1872,  after  a  prosperous  voyage 
of  nine  days,  Mr.  Davis  visited  Wales,  with  his  son,  and 
made  quite  an  extended  tour  of  the  British  Isles.  He 
is  a  sound' Republican  in  politics.  His  religious  views 
are  liberal,  pure,  and  rational.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  worthy  Odd-Fellows  in  the  State.  He  is  keen, 
cautious,  discriminating  and  scrupulously  upright, — his 
integrity  being  beyond  question.  The  vicissitudes  of  his 
life  have  left  him  with  an  unblemished  character  and 
a  contented,  happy  disposition. 

»o» - 

aE  BOE,  JACOB,  of  Grand  Haven,  Michigan, 

:  was  born  in  the  Netherlands,  Europe,  April  7, 
^  1838.  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Cornelia 
(Van  Loo)  De  Boe.  His  family  emigrated  to  America 
in  1847,  settled  in  Zeeland,  Michigan.  He  attended 
school  only  three  months;  and,  when  fourteen  years  of 
age,  began  work  at  brick-laying.  In  i860  he  went  to 
Holland,  Michigan,  and  commenced  learning  the  tanner’s 
trade.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  he 
enlisted  as  a  private,  in  Comjiany  D,  8lh  Michigan  In¬ 
fantry,  and  participated  in  twenty-one  different  engage- 


» 


28 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


ments.  lie  was  honorably  discharged  October,  2,  1864, 
and  soon  after  settled  in  Grand  Haven.  He  was  Deputy 
Clerk  there  for  twelve  years.  When  Grand  Haven  be¬ 
came  a  city,  in  1867,  he  was  chosen  its  first  City 
Treasurer.  In  1877  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds 
for  Ottawa  County.  Mr.  De  Boe  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  May  6,  1856,  he  married  Maria 
Quintus,  of  Grand  Rapids.  They  have  had  three  chil¬ 
dren,  two  of  whom  are  living. 

- .<.• 

tE  CAMP,  WILLIAM  HENRY,  Grand  Rapids,  is 
a  native  of  Auburn,  New  York,  where  he  was  born 
on  the  6th  of  November,  1825.  His  father  is  John 
C.  De  Camp,  of  Mount  Morris,  Livingston  County,  New 
York.  Plis  mother  is  Sarah,  daughter  of  William  Miller, 
of  Auburn,  New  York.  His  academic  education  was 
acquired  at  Munda,  New  York.  In  1843  began  the 
study  of  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Lewis  G.  Ferris, 
and  afterward  continued  his  studies  with  Dr.  C.  C. 
Chaffee,  of  Munda.  He  attended  his  first  course  of  lec¬ 
tures  during  the  winter  of  1843-44,  at  Geneva  Medical 
College;  a  second  course  in  the  Medical  Department  of 
the  University  of  New  York;  and  another  course  at 
Geneva,  where  he  graduated  in  February,  1846.  He  at 
once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in 
Grove  Center,  Alleghany  County,  New  York.  After 
remaining  there  four  years,  he  went  to  Hunt’s  Plollow, 
Livingston  County,  at  which  place  he  also  continued 
four  years.  In  June,  1854,  on  account  of  ill-health.  Dr. 
De  Camp  sold  out  his  practice,  and  came  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  opened  a  drug  store.  On  the 
25th  of  September,  1857,  his  store,  with  a  number  of 
other  buildings,  was  burned,  and  he  lost  all  his  posses¬ 
sions,  except  the  clothes  he  wore  and  an  old  clock  that 
happened  to  be  at  the  watch-maker’s  for  repairs.  A 
few  months  later.  Dr.  De  Camp  resumed  his  medical 
practice,  which  soon  became  quite  large,  and  continued 
to  increase,  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion.  He 
was  then  commissioned  Surgeon  of  the  1st  Michigan 
Regiment  of  Engineers  and  Mechanics.  He  remained 
in  this  position  for  three  years,  when  he  was  mustered 
out  of  service,  with  his  regiment,  at  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
his  term  having  expired.  PTom  October  10,  1862,  until 
February  10,  1863,  Dr.  De  Camp  was  Medical  Director 
at  Harrodsburg,  Kentucky.  With  the  exception  of  this 
time,  and  a  furlough  of  twenty  days,  he  was  not  absent 
from  his  regiment  during  the  entire  term  of  service. 
After  his  discharge  from  the  army,  he  immediately 
returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  resuming  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  making  surgery  a  specialty.  Dr.  De  Camp  has 
written  a  number  of  papers  for  the  Michigan  State  Society, 
and  for  the  medical  journals.  Among  these,  was  a  paper 
introducing  a  new  method  of  reducing  dislocation  of  the 


elbow  joint.  He  has  made  several  important  discoveries 
known  to  physicians.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Rapids  Medical  and  Surgical  Society;  the  Michigan 
State  Medical  Society,  in  both  of  which  he  has  filled  the 
position  of  President ;  and  also  a  member  of  the  American 
Medical  Association.  Pie  was  one  of  the  originators  of 
the  Kent  Scientific  Institute,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  has 
been  elected  a  member  of  several  other  scientific  socie¬ 
ties.  Among  these  are  the  American  Association  for 
the  Advancement  of  Science,  and  the  Academy  of  Nat¬ 
ural  Sciences,  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  On  the  4th 
of  November,  1846,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emeline  C. 
Griffith,  daughter  of  Shipman  Griffith,  of  Wyoming 
County,  New  York.  Outside  of  his  profession.  Dr.  De 
Camp  has  directed  his  scientific  researches  toward  con- 
chology,  mineralogy,  botany  and  ornithology;  in  which 
departments  his  collection  is,  perhaps,  the  finest  private 
one  in  the  State  of  Michigan. 

- . KX - 

»ELLENBAUGH,  CHARLES  C.,  Physician  and 
;  Surgeon,  of  Portland,  was  born  at  Morristown, 
C Belmont  County,  Ohio,  September  4,  1834.  His 
father,  Samuel  Dellenbaugh,  still  a  prominent  physician 
of  Buffalo,  New  York,  was  a  native  of  Switzerland.  His 
mother,  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Dellenbaugh,  was  born  in  Vir¬ 
ginia,  and  is  still  living  at  Buffalo.  Charles  C.,  with  his 
parents,  left  Morristown  in  1848,  and  resided  in  various 
places,  until  they  settled  in  Buffalo,  in  1854.  From  his 
father  he  inherited  a  taste  for  the  medical  profession 
which,  in  his  early  manhood,  he  decided  to  adopt.  He 
had  received  a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools, 
principally  in  Alleghany  City;  and,  in  1855,  entered  the 
Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Michigan. 
After  studying  there  one  year,  he  returned  to  Buffalo, 
and  continued  his  studies  in  Buffalo  University  during 
the  year  1856.  In  1857  he  was  honored  by  an  appoint¬ 
ment  of  House  Physician  in  the  Erie  County  Hospital, 
which  he  resigned  after  one  year.  He  graduated  in 
medicine  and  surgery  in  1859  and  i860.  He  commenced 
practice  at  Alliance,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  but  a 
short  time.  He  then  went  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  where 
he  remained  until  1863.  In  that  year  he  decided  to 
carry  out  a  long  formed  resolution  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
the  West.  After  trying  in  succession,  Detroit  and  Sagi¬ 
naw,  he  finally  settled  in  Westphalia,  Clinton  County, 
Michigan,  where  he  practiced  successfully  thirteen  years. 
He  removed  to  Portland,  Ionia  County,  in  1876.  In 
Westphalia,  he  was  elected  Supervisor,  and  held  the 
position  one  term.  Pie  is  a  member  of  the  State  Medi¬ 
cal  Society  and  also  of  the  Clinton  County  Medical  Soci¬ 
ety.  He  has  been  a  Mason  since  1866,  and  has  passed 
through  the  blue  lodge.  His  professional  duties,  how¬ 
ever,  debar  him  fiom  taking  a  very  active  part  in  the 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


organization.  Although  not  actually  connected  with 
the  Church,  he  has  strong  religious  convictions.  Eamily 
ties  incline  him  to  Presbyterianism,  although  he  has  a 
seat  in  the  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  Dellenbaugh  was  mar¬ 
ried,  October  4,  1866,  to  Mary  M.  Hill,  daughter  of 
George  Hill,  deceased,  of  Portland,  who  was  a  man  of 
special  prominence  in  Masonic  circles.  They  have  four 
children.  As  a  physician  and  surgeon,  Mr.  Dellenbaugh 
ranks  among  the  first  in  the  profession.  His  practice  is 
not  confined  to  Portland,  but  extends  over  a  large  part 
of  the  adjoining  counties.  He  is  a  man  of  eminent  social 
characteristics,  and  is  much  appreciated  for  his  general 
attainments  and  reliable  judgment.  He  is,  at  present, 
a  member  of  the  village  council. 

•■ex - 

jj^ODGE,  MARTIN,  of  Montague,  was  born  in 
Syi'acuse,  New  York,  March  19,  1816,  and  early 
removed,  with  his  father,  to  Erie  County,  in  the 
same  State.  He  remained  there  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  attending  the  common  school,  and 
learning  the  trade  of  wool  carding  and  cloth  dressing. 
In  January,  1836,  he  was  bound  out  to  serve  in  the 
Patriot  war;  and,  after  remaining  two  months,  was  dis¬ 
charged  on  account  of  having  been  exposed  to  the 
small-pox.  On  his  return  home,  he  worked  at  his  trade 
until  the  following  fall,  The  next  spring,  he  emigrated 
to  the  West,  and  settled  in  Niles,  Michigan,  where  he 
remained  one  year.  Pie  then  went  to  Chicago,  ‘and 
engaged  in  a  lumber-yard,  where  he  remained  two 
years.  In  1840,  in  connection  with  J.  W.  Steel,  he 
erected  a  building  on  Clark  street,  in  Chicago,  and 
opened  a  restaurant.  After  continuing  this  business 
about  two  years,  he  sold  out  to  his  partner,  and  com¬ 
menced  business  on  the  same  street,  opposite  the  old 
Sherman  House.  This  he  continued  about  four  years. 
He  then  sold  out,  and  built  a  dwelling  on  Quincy  street, 
where  he  lived  two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  in 
company  with  Mr.  William  R.  Irish,  he  leased  the  old 
Great  Western  Hotel,  on  the  corner  of  Randolph  and 
Canal  streets,  and  changed  its  name  to  the  Commercial 
Hotel.  He  remained,  as  proprietor,  three  years,  and 
his  lease  had  about  expired,  when  the  house  was  entirely 
destroyed  by  fire.  By  this  misfortune,  he  lost  every¬ 
thing,  as  the  company  in  which  he  was  insured  proved 
insolvent.  Pie  then  rented  Myrick’s  Hotel  and  Stock- 
yards,  of  which  he  had  sole  charge  for  two  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time,  in  May,  1856,  he  purchased  the  unex- 
jiired  two  years’  lease  of  the  old  Sherman  House,  with 
its  furniture  and  good-will,  for  $34,000.  At  that  time, 
this  house  was  one  of  the  leading  hotels  in  the  city ;  and 
its  patronage,  during  the  time  that  Mr.  Dodge  was 
proprietor,  was  ecpial  to  that  of  any  other.  On  the 
expiration  of  his  lease,  in  the  spring  of  1859,  he  opened 


29 

the  English  House,  on  Twenty-second  street,  near  the 
Michigan  Southern  stock-yards,  and  carried  it  on  about 
six  months.  He  then  removed  to  Niles,  Michigan,  but 
remained  there  only  a  short  time.  Returning  to  Chicago, 
he  opened  the  Michigan  Southern  Hotel,  which  had 
been  partially  destroyed  by  fire,  and  had  just  been  rebuilt. 
After  keeping  this  hotel  two  years,  he  sold  out  his 
interest  and  retired  from  business,  on  account  of  ill 
health.  Pie  remained  in  Chicago  until  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war,  and  then  removed  to  Niles,  Michigan, 
where  he  remained  until  its  close.  He  then  removed  to 
Benton  Harbor,  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River, 
and  kept  the  American  Hotel  two  or  three  years.  In 
1872  he  removed  to  Whitehall,  Muskegon  County,  Mich¬ 
igan,  and  purchased  the  lease  and  furniture  of  the 
Cosmopolitan  Hotel.  After  being  proprietor  of  this 
house  about  three  years,  he  closed  it,  and  removed  to  a 
private  residence,  where  he  remained  until  November, 
1875.  At  that  time,  he  moved  to  Montague,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  opened  the  P'ranklin 
House,  a  new  and  elegant  hotel,  which  had  just  been 
completed.  He  furnished  the  house  throughout  in  a 
style  which  is  seldom  seen  in  a.  hotel  in  much  larger 
towns.  This  hotel  is  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of 
M.  Dodge  &  Son,  and  is  one-  of  the  best  kept  in  West¬ 
ern  Michigan.  Mr.  Dodge  was  married,  April  8,  1848, 
to  Fanny  Elizabeth  Russell.  They  have  had  ten  chil¬ 
dren,  five  of  whom,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  are 
living. 


'EMING,  DR.  DAVID  EBENEZER,  Blainwell, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Garnish,  New  Hamp¬ 
shire,  June  14,  1796.  His  father,  William  Dem- 
ing,  was  a  farmer,  and  a  native  of  Massachusetts;  his 

mother,  Sarah - ,  came  from  Connecticut.  PTrough 

the  intimate  friendship  and  advice  of  their  family  physi¬ 
cian,  Mr.  Deming,  at  an  early  age,  decided  to  study 
medicine.  He  commenced  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four,  attended  the  Castleton  Medical  School  of  Vermont, 
and  then  the  Vermont  University,  at  Burlington,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1823.  He  commenced  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  medicine  in  the  town  of  Hinesburg,  Vermont, 
where  he  continued  his  labors  successfully  for  ten  years. 
He  was  married,  January  22,  1829,  to  Miss  Electa  L. 
Eldredge,  daughter  of  John  M.  Eldredge,  attorney-at-law. 
In  1833,  in  a  conversation  with  Mr.  H.  Burnham,  a 
Western  farmer,  his  attention  was  directed  to  the  Western 
States;  and,  in  the  same  year,  he  removed  to  Michigan. 
He  spent  a  few  days  at  Detroit,  resting,  and  waiting 
the  arrival  of  his  brother,  C.  P.  Deming,  and  then 
resumed  his  journey,  traveling,  by  teams,  to  Kalamazoo. 
The  journey  from  Burlington,  Vermont,  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  had  occupied  eighteen  days,  and  had  cost,  for 


/ 


30 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


three  grown  persons  and  two  children,  thirty  dollars  and 
fifty  cents.  Mr.  Deming  was  the  first  white  settler  in 
Cooper  Township,  his  nearest  neighbor  being  five  miles 
distant.  Besides  working  his  farm,  he  continued  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  medicine  for  a  number  of  years,  often  being  called 
in  consultation  with  younger  physicians.  In  1871  he 
removed  to  the  village  of  Plainwell,  in  Allegan  County, 
where  he  now  resides,  realizing  the  dreams  of  his  early 
life  in  successful  farming.  In  1838  Mr.  Deming  was 
elected  the  first  Supervisor  of  Cooper  Township,  which 
office,  with  that  of  Commissioner,  he  held  for  several 
years.  In  1840  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  for 
two  years.  He  united  with  the  Congregational  Church 
in  1819,  and  has  been  an  active  member,  contributing 
freely  to  its  support.  Doctor  Deming  is  now  in  his 
eighty-second  year.  He  is  in  excellent  health,  and  still 
gives  evidence  of  many  years  of  usefulness. 


jjll^ITRFEE,  ALLEN,  Furnishing  Undertaker,  of 
Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Palmyra,  Wayne 
County,  New  York,  January  5,  1829.  His  par¬ 
ents  were  William  and  Parmelia  (Chase)  Durfee.  His 
father,  a  native  of  Palmyra,  was  born  May  3,  1800,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming  and  milling  until  his  death. 
His  mother’s  family  emigrated  from  Connecticut  at  a 
very  early  day,  and  settled  in  New  York,  where  she  was 
born,  February  7,  1806.  Allen  Durfee  attended  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  place;  and,  in  his  eigh¬ 
teenth  year,  entered  an  academy,  where  he  studied  dili¬ 
gently  for  a  time.  He  was  then  employed  in  milling, 
and  in  working  on  his  father’s  farm,  until  the  fall  of 
1853.  At  that  time  he  married  Miss  Phebe  B.  Thayer, 
a  native  of  Palmyra,  New  York,  and  removed  to  Mich¬ 
igan.  Pie  bought  a  farm  near  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids, 
on  which  he  resided  fifteen  years,  during  which  time  he 
was  elected  to  several  township  offices.  Pie  finally  pur¬ 
chased  property,  and  removed  to  the  city  of  Grand 
Rapids.  In  June,  1869,  he  engaged  in  business  with  J. 
H.  Farwell,  a  leading  undertaker  of  the  city,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1871.  He  then  commenced 
business  on  his  own  account,  and  has  carried  it  on  with 
success  until  the  present  time.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
undertakers  in  the  country  to  investigate  and  adopt 
Professor  Crane’s  process  of  embalming  bodies,  and  has 
found  it  of  inestimable  value.  In  the  year  1874,  he 
united  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd-P'ellows,  and 
has  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  subordinate  lodges.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  Mr.  Durfee  belongs  to  the 
Congregational  Church,  and  is  one  of  its  earnest  sup¬ 
porters.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr.  Durfee  is 
tall,  and  of  commanding  presence;  temperate  in  all  his 


habits;  of  a  genial  nature;  kind  and  affectionate  in  his 
family,  and  has  a  warm  heart  and  generous  hand  for  all 
in  real  need.  These  qualities,  together  with  his  unswerv¬ 
ing  integrity  in  all  his  business  affairs,  secure  for  him  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  all  classes  in  the  community 
in  which  he  resides. 

- K>. - - 

SpNELSON,  CHARLES  PARK,  Physician  and 
i  Surgeon,  of  Muskegon,  was  born,  in  Flint,  Michi- 
■' gan,  April  ii,  1848,  and  is  the  son  of  Abel  S. 
and  Maria  (Jennings)  Donelson.  Three  of  his  uncles 
are  Methodist  Episcopal  clergymen, —  Park  S.  Donelson, 
D.D.,  of  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Female  College,  of  Dela¬ 
ware,  being  one  of  the  number.  After  taking  a  literary 
course  in  the  High  School  at  Flint,  he  entered  the  Ohio 
Wesleyan  University,  at  Delaware,  from  which  he  gradu¬ 
ated  in  1867.  Soon  after,  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  and 
engaged  as  book-keeper  for  the  firm  of  Crane,  Breed  & 
Co.  In  1868  he  returned  home,  and  taught  in  the  High 
School  at  Flint  two  years.  Having  a  desire  to  become 
a  physician,  he  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  and  entered  the 
University  of  Michigan.  He  attended  two  courses  of 
lectures,  and  graduated  in  1872.  He  then  went  to 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  graduated  from  the  Long 
Island  College  Hospital.  Returning  to  Michigan,  he 
settled  in  Muskegon,  where  he  has  a  lucrative  practice. 
Dr.  Donelson  was  married,  in  March,  1873,  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Johnson,  daughter  of  Tobias  Johnson,  of  Kalamazoo, 
an  architect  of  considerable  note.  Dr.  Donelson  is  a 
man  of  fine  physique,  temperate  and  regular  habits, 
which  were  formed  early,  and  have  always  been  ad¬ 
hered  to. 


- »<>. - 

«[LLEY,  JOSIAH,  of  Portland,  Ionia  County, 
was  born  in  Soham,  County  of  Cambridge,  Eng¬ 
land,  January  5,  1835.  His  parents  emigrated 
to  America  in  1852,  and  settled  in  Ontario  County,  New 
York,  where  they  remained  until  1855.  They  then  went 
to  Michigan,  and  settled  on  unbroken  land  in  Eaton 
County,  where  they  still  reside,  wealthy  farmers.  Josiah 
Dilley  obtained  his  education  almost  entirely  through  his 
own  efforts.  Upon  moving  to  Michigan,  in  1854,  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  uncultivated 
land,  and  built  a  log  house,  in  which  he  lived  until 
1866.  He  then  erected  the  handsome  residence  in  which 
he  now  resides.  In  i860  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
staves,  which  he  has  since  carried  on  extensively.  He 
ships  from  one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  car-loads  a 
year,  princijially  to  New  York  for  the  foreign  market, 
but  also  to  Boston  and  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts. 
Mr.  Dilley  cast  his  first  vote  for  James  Buchanan,  and 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


31 


and -has  always  been  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  party.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  all  public 
enterprises  connected  with  the  growth  of  the  city  of 
Portland,  and  has  contributed  largely  toward  the  build¬ 
ing  of  railroads  and  churches.  He  has  never  been  will¬ 
ing  to  accept  public  office,  though  often  urged  to  do  so. 
He  was  married,  August  20,  1853,  in  Manchester,  On¬ 
tario  County,  New  York,  to  Catherine  Favor,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  soon  after  her  parents  emigrated  from 
Paris,  France.  They  have  had  six  children, —  four  sons 
and  two  daughters, —  all  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Dilley 
has  been  one  of  the  most  successful  business  men  of 
Ionia  County. 


-K>. 


^"^DSELL,  WILSON  C.,  of  Otsego,  Michigan,  was 
born  in  Bradford  County,  Pennsylvania,  July  8, 
1814.  His  parents,  of  German-American  descent, 
were  natives  of  New  York  and  Connecticut,  and  brought 
up  their  children  on  a  farm  in  habits  of  thrift  and 
industry.  Mr.  Edsell’s  early  school  advantages  were 
'quite  limited,  but  his  thoughtfulness  and  close  observa¬ 
tion  of  men  and  things  made  amends  for  other  deficien¬ 
cies.  When  he  reached  his  majority,  he  was  master  of‘ 
the  carpenter  and  joiner’s  trade,  to  which  he  had  been 
apprenticed  three,  years.  He  started  West;  and,  on  his 
way,  lingered  at  Cleveland,  where  he  received  his  first 
glimpse  of  a  steamboat.  He  spent  some  years  perfect¬ 
ing  himself  in  his  trade,  in  the  employ  of  George  Lawton, 
of  Sandusky,  Ohio;  and  assisted  in  erecting  some  of  the 
finest  flour-mills  in  Northern  Ohio.  He  gained  the 
reputation  of  a  faithful,  competent  workman,  and  spent 
his  leisure  in  mastering  “Nicholson’s  Operative  Me¬ 
chanics,”  Chemistry,  Natural  Philosophy,  Drawing  and 
Plistory.  In  1839  he  built  a  fine  flour-mill  at  Monroe¬ 
ville.  In  the  following  year  he  married  Julia  Ann 
Clache,  and,  soon  after,  they  together  entered  Oberlin 
College,  and  took  a  four  years’  course.  In  1844  they 
joined  a  colony  of  thirty  persons  who  emigrated  from 
Oberlin  to  Olivet,  then  an  unbroken  wilderness,  for  the 


purpose  of  esta’olishing  a  similar  college  in  that  place. 
Twelve  hundred  acres  of  land  were  purchased  for  a  col¬ 
lege,  mill,  and  other  purposes;  and  Mr.  Edsell,  then 
Secretary  and  Trustee,  pushed  forward  the  work  of 
establishing  Olivet  College,  amid  many  discouragements, 
until  it  had  gained  a  firm  hold  upon  the  confidence  of 
the  people.  Its  admirable  discipline  and  superior  edu¬ 
cational  advantages  now  render  it  a  power  for  good. 
Much  of  its  early  success  was  due  to  the  self-sacrifice 
and  untiring  energy  of  its  first  Secretary.  Five  years 
later,  he  removed  to  Otsego,  where,  his  energy  and 
ability  were  soon  recognized.  He  was  admitted  to  prac¬ 
tice  in  all  the  State  Courts;  was  Justice  of  the  Peace 
sixteen  years;  Trustee  of  the  State  Insane  Asylum;  and 


was  twice  elected  State  Senator,  which  position  he  now 
holds.  In  company  with  11.  N.  Peck,  he  established 
the  first  banking  house  of  Otsego,  in  1869.  In  1873 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  United  States  Courts, 
thus  proving  that,  though  in  advanced  years,  he  is  both 
aggressive  and  progressive.  Industry  and  integrity  have 
enabled  him  to  prosper  in  whatever  work  he  has  under¬ 
taken  ;  he  is  now  one  of  the  most  wealthy  real  estate 
owners  in  Allegan  County.  He  has  clung,  with  persis¬ 
tence,  to  the  convictions  and  training  of  his  early  years. 
He  has  always  strenuously  advocated  temperance  prin¬ 
ciples,  and  abstained  from  the  use  of  tobacco.  An  anti¬ 
slavery  worker  and  an  honest  partisan,  he  aided  in  the 
organization  and  establishment  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  has  long  been  a  zealous  Christian,  and,  for  twenty 
years,  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  School  connected 
with  the  Congregational  Church.  He  is  dignified  in 
his  deportment,  attractive  in  his  personal  appearance, 
social  in  his  manners,  strong  in  his  friendship,  and  kind 
to  all.  His  wife  died  in  1866;  the  following  year  he 
married  Mrs.  Clara  Hughs,  of  Kalamazoo. 


x> 


‘^5[#LDRED,  ANDREW  J.,  of  Ionia,  Methodist  Cler- 
gyman,  was  born  in  Catskill,  New  York,  March 
20,  1825.  His  parents  were  Mumford  and  Jane 
(Whittaker)  Eldred.  His  father,  an  eminent  politician, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont;  and  his  mother,  of  Catskill, 
New  York.  Pie  received  his  primary  education  in  Alle¬ 
gan  and  Kalamazoo  counties,  Michigan,  and  spent  one 
year  at  Kalamazoo  Branch  University,  when  Dr.  Stone 
was  principal.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  was  influ¬ 
enced,  by  Dr.  Sprague,  to  enter  the  ministry ;  and 
subsequently,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty,  accepted  a  pas¬ 
toral  charge  at  Niles,  Michigan.  He  remained  there  five 
years,  and  then  accepted  a  charge  at  Grand  Rapids, 
where  -he  also  remained  five  years.  While  there,  he 
built  the  Division  Street  Church,  which  stands  to-day 
as  a  monument  to  his  exertions.  He  also  had  a  charge 
at  Adrian,  two  years ;  at  Detroit,  two  years,  and  at 
Albion,  two  years;  and  was  engaged  in  district  work,  as 
Presiding  Elder,  nine  years.  In  1876  he  was  appointed 
by  the  Conference  to  the  pastorate  at  Ionia,  Michigan, 
where  he  is  now  stationed.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  he  entered  the  army,  and  was,  for  two  years. 
Chaplain  of  a  regiment  of  Michigan  Infantry.  He  went 
to  the  front;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburgh 
Landing,  acted  with  great  gallantry.  He  was  with 
his  regiment  during  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  until  it 
reached  Duvall’s  Bluff,  Arkansas,  September  i,  1863,  on 
its  way  to  Little  Rock.  He  then  resigned,  not  being 
able  to  bear  the  hardships  of  a  soldier’s  life  at  the  front. 
He  could  not  shirk  responsibility;  and,  while  in  the 


32 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


army,  discharged  faithfully  the  duties  of  his  office,  no 
matter  what  the  personal  sacrifice.  He  was  more  to  his 
regiment  than  a  mere  Chaplain;  he  was  the  adviser  and 
friend  of  its  men  and  officers.  His  well-known  bravery 
and  practical  common-sense  made  his  counsel  valuable, 
and  his  presence  always  welcome.  He  was  popular 
with  all  classes,  and  was  highly  esteemed,  both  as  a 
man  and  officer.  His  eloquence  w'as  known  throughout 
the  army;  and,  wherever  he  preached,  it  required  no 
effort  to  secure  a  congregation;  officers  and  men  flocked 
to  hear  him,  and  all  regretted  the  necessity  which  took 
him  from  them.  He  is  endowed  with  fine  social  quali¬ 
ties,  and  does  not  hesitate  to  join  in  a  hearty  laugh. 
He  is  a  natural  leader  of  men;  and,  had  his  health 
permitted,  would  probably  have  risen  to  a  high  com¬ 
mand  in  the  army.  He  seemed  to  be  happiest  when 
addressing  a  large  audience,  such  as  he  had  at  Helena, 
Arkansas,  August  i,  1863  ;  it  was  a  day  of  thanksgiv¬ 
ing,  appointed  by  President  Lincoln,  and  his  audience 
numbered  several  thousand  soldiers;  his  address  was 
masterly,  and  filled  many  Michigan  men  with  pride  and 
happiness.  Mr.  Eldred  was  extremely  attentive  to  the 
sick,  and  discharged  all  his  duties  in  that  kind,  unos¬ 
tentatious  manner  which  is  so  pleasing.  He  has  been 
connected  with  the  society  of  Free  Masons  since  1847, 
and  has  taken  all  the  degrees  up  to  knighthood.  In 
polities,  he  is  a  Democrat;  his  ideal  statesman  was 
Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  has  sustained  an  effective 
relation  to  the  conference  throughout  his  whole  career, 
and  has  always  been  acceptable  to  the  people  among 
whom  he  has  labored.  As  we  have  shown,  he  has  many 
excellent  qualities  of  mind  and  heart.  His  sermons  are 
plain  and  practical,  and  generally  delivered  with  great 
power.  In  1848  Mr.  Eldred  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza¬ 
beth  D’Mott.  They  have  a  family  of  six  children,  three 
of  whom — two  sons  and  one  daughter — are  living. 


»RWIN,  DAVID  D.,  Lawyer,  Muskegon,  was 
born  near  Rushville,  Schuyler  County,  Illinois. 
He  is  a  grandson  of  one  of  the  Revolutionary 
patriots.  General  David  Erwin,  who  was  with  General 
Washington  when  he  crossed  the  Delaware.  Plis  great¬ 
grandfather  emigrated  to  this  country,  from  Ireland,  in 
1740.  Mr.  Erwin  commenced  his  education  at  Rush¬ 
ville;  attended  the  Wesleyan  University,  Bloomington, 
Illinois;  and  entered  the  office  of  the  County  Clerk  of 
Schuyler  County,  Illinois,  in  1864.  He  was  Deputy  in 
the  Circuit  Court  of  the  same  county,  until  May,  1867; 
when  he  went  to  Muskegon,  and  became  Deputy  Clerk 
of  that  county.  In  1869  he  began  the  study  of  law  with 
Gray,  Smith  &  Nims.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1S70,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  well-known  firm  of 


Smith,  Nims  &  Erwin.  He  has  held  the  positions  of 
Recorder  of  Muskegon;  member  of  the  School  Board; 
and  Receiver  of  the  Chicago,  Saginaw  and  Canada  Rail¬ 
road.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party.  Mr. 
Erwin  was  married,  November  21,  1870,  to  Miss  Flor¬ 
ence  Tillotson,  formerly  of  Glenn’s  Falls,  New  York. 


COX,  COLONEL  PERRIN  V.,  State  Agent  of 
the  Mutual  Benefit  Life  Insurance  Company,  of 
I  Newark,  N.  J.,  was  born  at  Antwerp,  Jefferson 
^  County,  New  York,  December  3,  1821.  His 
father,  Bryan  Fox,  was  born  at  Hebron,  Connecticut, 
but  most  of  his  early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm,  in  Rut¬ 
land  County,  Vermont.  Before  the  war  of  1812  he 
settled  in  Antwerp,  Jefferson  County,  New  York.  He 
was  Captain  of  a  militia  company  in  the  said  war,  and, 
for  services  rendered,  received  a  pension.  In  1816  he 
returned  to  Rutland,  Vermont,  and  married  ^Flannah 
Shepard.  The  next  day  they  started  for  their  new  home, 
to  encounter  the  hardships  incident  to  clearing  a  farm 
in  the  forest.  In  the  autumn  of  1822,  their  house  was 
burned,  with  all  their  winter  stores,  the  family  barely 
escaping  with  their  lives.  About  this  time,  the  induce¬ 
ments  made  to  settlers  on  the  “Holland  Purchase,” 
caused  a  large  emigration  thither.  In  1824,  a  new  house 
was  found  in  Niagara  County,  near  Lockport.  From 
this  place,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  dates  his  earliest  rec¬ 
ollections, —  among  which  is  the  “sickly  season,”  so 
called,  when  there  were  not  well  persons  enough  to 
take  proper  care  of  the  sick.  In  his  eleventh  year, 
at  the  solicitation  of  a  distant  relative,  he  was  permitted 
to  leave  home,  and  lived  ten  years  on  a  farm  near  Buf¬ 
falo,  becoming  an  expert  in  all  kinds  of  farm  labor. 
By  close  application  to  study  at  home,  in  the  evening; 
at  the  district  schools,  about  three  months  each  year; 
and  during  one  term  at  the  Hamburg  Academy;  he 
became  qualified  to  teach.  After  leaving  the  farm,  he 
learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner,  which  he 
followed  in  summer,  and  tatight  school  in  winter.  He 
also  went  to  an  architectural  school,  and  learned  to 
design  as  well  as  to  execute  such  work  as  the  wants  of 
the  country  demanded.  In  1846  he  married  Louisa  M., 
eldest  daughter  of  Philo  Newton,  and  settled  in  Medina, 
New  York.  After  teaching  two  years,  continuously,  he 
became  permanently  engaged  in  building  and  mechanical 
operations.  In  January,  1852,  he  went  to  California, 
and  spent  over  a  year  in  digging  gold,  wdth  moderate 
success.  He  put  up  a  quartz-mill  and  other  buildings 
for  the  Agua  Tria  Quartz  Mining  Company.  He  also 
designed  a  Court  House  for  Mariposa  County,  and, 
taking  a  partner,  contracted  for  and  built  it.  Compli¬ 
cations,  arising  from  unconstitutional  legislative  enact¬ 
ment,  came  near  preventing  the  payment  of  over  $8,000 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


33 


of  the  sum  contracted  for,  and  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  stay  there  until  it  could  be  adjusted.  In  the  mean¬ 
time,  he  was  constantly  employed  in  building  for  others. 
Before  returning  home,  he  was  one  of  a  pleasant  party 
of  nine  to  spend  a  week  in  the  Yosemite  Valley,- — -the 
second  party  to  visit  it  after  its  discovery.  In  January, 
1856,  he  arrived  at  his  home,  after  an  absence  of  four 
years,  lacking  ten  days.  Being  desirous  of  visiting  the 
Western  States,  early  in  the  following  spring  he  went  to 
Illinois,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  and  Michigan.  After  a  care¬ 
ful  investigation  of  the  respective  advantages  of  the 
places  visited,  he  decided  to  make  Grand  Rapids,  Michi¬ 
gan,  his  future  home.  He  returned  to  Medina,  and 
completed  arrangements  to  move  there  in  July  following. 
From  that  time  to  1861  he  was  actively  engaged  in  build¬ 
ing,  and  was  regarded  as  a  thorough  mechanic.  At  the 
commencement  of  the  Southern  Rebellion,  he  joined 
heartily  with  those  who  said  “It  must  be  crushed,”  but  did 
not  think  his  services  would  be  needed  in  the  field  until 
the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run.  About  this  time  four  com¬ 
panies  were  being  recruited  in  Michigan  for  Colonel 
Wilson’s  Regiment  of  Engineers  (erroneously  called 
Fusileers,  Sappers,  Miners,  etc.)  at  Chicago,  Ill.  To 
give  these  companies  to  the  credit  of  Michigan,  he,  with 
Messrs.  W.  L.  Coffinberry,  James  Sligh,  and  Baker 
Borden,  went  to  the  office  of  William  P.  Innes,  now 
General  Engineer  of  the  Amboy  and  Lansing  Railroad, 
and  requested  him  to  telegraph  to  the  War  Department, 
in  his  official  position,  asking  if  a  regiment  like  Colonel 
Wilson’s  would  be  accepted  from  Michigan.  The  an¬ 
swer  was:  “Yes,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Gov¬ 
ernor.”  Governor  Blair  authorized  Colonel  Innes  to  raise 
such  a  regiment,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  “  First 
Regiment  of  Michigan  Engineers  and  Mechanics.”  Mr. 
Fox  raised  a  company  for  the  regiment  and  received  a 
commission  as  Captain,  ranking  fourth  (D),  September 
12,  1861.  The  Colonel  reported  for  duty  to  General 
Buell,  at  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The  regiment  was  divided 
into  four  detachments,  and  assigned  to  the  com-nr.n  Is  of 
Generals  McCook,  Thomas,  Nelson  and  Mitchell.  Com¬ 
panies  D,  F,  and  G,  under  command  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Hunton,  were  with  General  George  H.  Thomas, 
during  the  campaign  to  Mill  Springs,  and,  for  their 
efficient  services,  were  highly  commended  by  him.  Very 
much  of  the  designing  and  superintendence  of  the  con¬ 
struction  of  bridges,  boats,  etc.,  was  entrusted  to  Cap¬ 
tain  Fox,  because  of  his  peculiar  qualification  for  making 
a  success  of  whatever  he  undertook,  and  his  ability  to 
improvise,  from  such  materials  as  could  be  obtained,  the 
means  to  secure  the  object  sought  in  the  shortest  time. 
It  would  be  impossible,  in  the  space  allowed  in  these 
columns,  to  give  the  details  of  his  services,  as  the  army 
advanced  from  Nashville  to  Shiloh  and  Corinth,  thence 
to  Huntsville,  rebuilding  the  railroad  bridges  at  Bear 
Creek,  Tuscumbia,  etc.,  and  finally  to  Stevenson,  where 
GO 


they  built  pontoon  boats.  When  General  Bragg’s  flank 
movement  caused  General  Buell  to  march  back  to 
Nashville  and  Louisville,  the  Michigan  Engineers  re¬ 
built  the  bridges  destroyed  on  the  Louisville  and  Nash¬ 
ville  Railroad  in  Morgan’s  raid.  P’rom  Louisville  they 
went  to  Frankfort,  Perryville  and  Crab  Orchard,  where 
the  pursuit  of  Bragg  was  abandoned,  and  they  returned 
with  the  army  to  Nashville.  General  Rosecrans,  reliev¬ 
ing  General  Buell,  made  active  preparations  for  an  on¬ 
ward  movement.  The  Engineers  were  ordered  to  rebuild 
the  bridges  on  Mill  Creek,  destroyed  by  the  rebels, 
(twelve  in  number),  get  out  ties  and  relay  the  track, 
which  had  been  torn  up  and  the  rails  destroyed  much 
of  the  way  to  Murfreesboro.  The  day  before  the  battle 
of  Stone  River,  Colonel  Innes  was  ordered  to  move  his 
command  to  Lavergne,  and  await  orders.  The  disaster 
to  the  right  wing,  under  General  McCook,  enabled  the 
rebel  cavalry  to  get  to  the  rear,  burn  the  supply-train 
returning  to  Nashville,  and  attack  the  Michigan  Engi¬ 
neers,  protected  by  defenses  hastily  prepared.  With 
less  than  four  hundred  effective  men  (some  being  under 
arrest  at  Nashville  for  insubordination,  on  account  of  not 
being  paid,  etc.),  they  withstood  repeated  charges  from 
Wheeler  and  Wheaton’s  cavalry,  numbering  about  three 
thousand,  who,  in  the  intervals,  kept  up  a  vigorous  fire 
with  artillery  and  sharpshooters,  under  cover  of  old 
buildings  within  range.  A  flag  was  sent  in,  with  a 
demand  for  “immediate  and  unconditional  surrender,” 
soon  followed  by  a  second,  to  “hurry  up,”  and  a  third, 
asking  permission  to  “bury  their  dead  and  care  for 
their  wounded.”  They  were  not  permitted,  however,  to 
come  within  range  of  the  Engineers’  Springfield  rifles 
and  Colt’s  six-shooters,  used  by  Company  A,  of  the  4th 
Michigan  Cavalry,  who  had  come  to  assist  the  Engineers. 
At  dark.  Colonel  Burke,  with  the  loth  Ohio,  came,  and 
during  the  night,  the  enemy  retired.  For  several  weeks 
the  Engineers  were  employed  on  the  fortifications,  mag¬ 
azines  and  storehouses  at  Murfreesboro.  As  the  army 
advanced,  the  Engineers  rebuilt  the  bridges  on  the 
Nashville  and  Chattanooga  Railroad.  The  one  at  Elk 
River,  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  and  over  fifty 
feet  high,  was  completed  within  eight  days,  and  from 
timber  standing  in  the  woods,  (estimated  by  Chief-Engi¬ 
neer  General  Norton,  to  require  six  weeks).  After  the 
completion  ot  the  pontoon  and  part  trestle  bridge,  at 
Bridgeport,  Captain  Fox  was  ordered  to  go  to  Chatta¬ 
nooga,  with  companies  D  and  K,  and  report  for  duty. 
During  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  he  gathered  up  and 
repaired  all  the  casks  that  could  be  found,  filled  them 
with  water,  and  sent  them  to  the  battle-field,  and  assisted 
the  Pioneers  in  building  a  trestle  bridge  across  the  Ten¬ 
nessee  River.  The  last  day  of  the  battle  he  was  ordered 
by  General  Rosecrans  to  take  such  materials  as  could  be 
found  and  make  boats  for  a  pontoon  bridge  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  ordered  up  another  company  of  Engineers 


34 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


from  the  regiment.  The  rebels  had  procured  a  quantity 
of  timber,  near  Chattanooga,  for  a  railroad  bridge  at 
"Whiteside.  Much  of  it  was  six  by  twelve  inches,  and,  by 
sawing  twice,  gave  three  planks;  but,  being  short,  the 
boats  had  to  be  of  unusual  form,  and  a  new  arrangement 
made  for  securing  the  planks,  by  which  a  distance,  equal 
to  the  width  of  a  boat,  was  saved  in  the  length  of  the  balk, 
(stringers).  The  plan  of  the  boats  being  disapproved  by 
General  Norton,  ChiebEngineer,  it  was  gratifying  to  be 
permitted  by  General  Rosecrans  to  demonstrate  their 
practicability,  which  was  accomplished,  and  admitted  by 
all,  including  General  Norton.  General  Rosecrans  then 
ordered  the  two  saw-mills  to  be  turned  over  to  Captain 
Fox’s  command,  and  other  boats  to  be  built  of  such 
fashion  as  his  judgment  dictated.  The  mills  were  at 
once  repaired,  and  pine  timber  cut  from  the  surround¬ 
ing  hills,  and  hauled  to  the  river  where  it  was  easily 
taken  into  the  mills  and  sawed.  Nails  were  brought 
from  Bridgeport  by  the  couriers  bearing  dispatches,  and, 
before  General  Hooker  could  get  to  the  relief  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  fifty  boats,  with  all  the  neces¬ 
sary  equipments  for  a  bridge  at  Brown’s  Ferry,  were  in 
readiness.  In  the  meantime.  General  Rosecrans  was 
relieved  by  General  George  H.  Thomas,  and  General 
W.  F.  Smith  (Baldy)  took  charge  of  the  Engineer  De¬ 
partment.  The  plan  devised  to  connect  with  General 
Plooker,  who  was  to  advance  from  Bridgeport,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  was  successfully  executed  as 
follows:  The  i8th  Ohio  (Colonel  Stanley)  manned 
the  boats,  which  took  General  Hazen’s  brigade,  and  in 
the  night,  floated  silently  with  the  current,  near  the 
right  bank  of  the  river,  past  the  rebel  pickets,  about  six 
miles,  to  Brown’s  Ferry,  when  they  crossed  over  and 
landeck  driving  back  the  pickets.  The  boats  immedi¬ 
ately  recrossed  and  took  over  General  Turchin’s  brigade, 
- — the  whole  force  holding  the  hills.  Captain  Fox,  with 
his  train,  moved  up  before  sunrise,  and  commenced  to 
lay  the  bridge,  under  fire  from  the  enemy’s  artillery, 
assisted  by  a  detail  of  one  hundred  men  from  the  2ist 
Michigan  Infantry.  In  abaut  six  hours  the  bridge, — 
nine  hundred  feet  long, —  was  completed,  and  General 
Whitaker’s  brigade  crossed  over  and  united  with  General 
Hooker’s  command.  The  importance  of  the  expedition 
is  indicated  in 

[General  Order  No.  2^5.) 

“Head-quarters  Department  of  the Cumrereand,  'i 
“Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  November  7,  1863.  / 

“The  recent  movements  resulting  in  the  establishment 
of  a  new  and  short  line  of  communication  with  Bridge¬ 
port,  and  the  possession  of  the  Tennessee  River,  were  of 
so  brilliant  a  character  as  to  deserve  special  notice. 
The  skill  and  cool  gallantry  of  the  officers  and  men 
composing  the  expedition,  under  Brigadier  William  P'. 
Smith,  Chief- Engineer,  consisting  of  the  brigades  of 
Brigadier-Generals  Turchin  and  Ilazen,  the  boat  [Parties, 
under  Colonel  Stanley,  i8th  Ohio  Volunteers,  and  the 
I’ontooners,  under  Captain  P'ox,  Michigan  Plngineers 
and  Mechanics,  in  effecting  a  i)ermanent  lodgment  'on 


the  south  side  of  the  river,  at  Brown’s  Ferry,  deserve 
the  highest  praise.  The  column  under  Major-General 
Hooker,  which  took  possession  of  the  line  from  Bridge¬ 
port  to  the  foot  of  Lookout  Mountain,  deserves  great 
credit  for  their  brilliant  success,  in  driving  the  enemy 
from  every  position  which  they  attacked.  The  bayonet 
charge,  made  by  the  troops  of  General  Howard,  up  a 
steep  and  difficult  hill  over  two  hundred  feet  high,  com¬ 
pletely  routing  the  enemy  and  driving  him  from  his 
barricades  on  its  top,  and  the  repulse,  by  General  Geary’s 
command,  of  greatly  superior  numbers,  who  attempted 
to  surprise  him,  will  rank  among  the  most  distinguished 
feats  of  arms  of  this  war. 

“Bv  command  of  Ma'or-General  George  H.  Thomas. 

“  C.  Goddard, 

“  Assistant  Adjutant- General." 

Captain  Fox  was  instructed  to  continue  his  work  of 
building  boats,  and  another"  company  of  Engineers  was 
ordered  to  report  to  him.  The  13th,  21st,  and  22d 
Regiments  of  Michigan  Infantry  were  detailed  to  assist 
in  getting  ready  for  aggressive  movements  when  General 
Sherman  should  arrive.  Nearly  the  same  strategy  was 
used  by  General  Sherman  in  crossing  the  Tennessee 
River,  below  the  South  Chickamauga,  as  at  Brown’s 
Ferry,  which  was  accomplished  the  night  before  the 
battle  of  Lookout  Mountain.  Captain  Fox  laid  the 
bridge  across  the  Chickamauga,  an,d  the  Pioneers  laid 
one  across  the  Tennessee,  during  the  fight  of  Hooker  in 
the  clouds  of  Lookout  Mountain.  The  next  day.  Captain 
Fox  laid  another  bridge  across  the  Tennessee,  at  Chat¬ 
tanooga,  assisted  by  the  22d  Michigan  Volunteers, 
commanded  by  Colonel  Dean,  who  had  been  in  charge 
of  the  train  for  four  days,  with  only  such  rest  as  could 
be  had  in  bivouac.  This  day  closed  the  ever  memorable 
battle  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  Mission  Ridge,  so 
beautifully  described  by  Taylor  and  others.  After  this 
battle,  active  operations  were  suspended  and  details 
were  sent  home  to  recruit  for  the  regiments  whose  ranks 
had  been  so  fearfully  depleted.  The  Michigan  Engineers 
went  into  the  field  with  ten  companies,  of  one  hundred 
men  each, —  they  were  entitled  to  the  regular  organiza¬ 
tions,  twelve  companies  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
each, —  and  Captain  Fox  was  ordered  to  take  charge  of  a 
detail  of  three  officers  and  twenty-one  enlisted  men, 
proceed  to  Michigan,  and  recruit  for  the  Engineers. 
He  distributed  his  force,  and  his  plans  were  so  well  con¬ 
ceived  and  vigorously  executed,  that  the  requisite  num¬ 
ber  (over  nine  hundred)  were  secured  within  four  weeks 
—  more  than  half  of  them  at  Grand  Rapids  and  vicinity. 
An  order  was  issued  by  Colonel  Hill,  Chief  of  the 
Recruiting  Service,  requiring  recruits  for  the  Michigan 
Engineers  to  go  to  Fort  Wayne,  and  be  mustered  by  a 
regular  army  officer.  This  order  Captain  Fox  resisted, 
and  secured  its  revocation.  As  soon  as  the  recruits 
could  be  clothed  and  paid,  they  were  sent  to  the  regi¬ 
ment,  which  was  filled  to  the  maximum,  and  gave  to  it 
two  new  Majors,  of  which  Captain  Fox  was  one,  his 
commission  being  dated  December  15,  1863.  He  was 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


35 


assigned  to  .the  command  of  a  battalion,  and  placed  in 
charge  of  building  block-houses,  to  guard  the  bridges 
between  Murfreesboro  and  Bridgeport.  April  i8,  1864, 
Engineer  Order  No.  15  placed  Major  Fox  in  charge  of 
the  defenses  at  Stevenson,  Alabama,  with  two  companies 
of  Engineers  and  details  from  the  commandant  of  the 
post.  August  12,  1864,  he  was  relieved  from  duty  at 
Stevenson,  to  accept  the  position,  tendered  by  General 
Thomas,  of  First  Major  in  the  1st  United  States  Veteran 
Volunteer  Engineers,  organized  by  authority  of  the  War 
Department,  of  ve^terans  who  had  served  in  the  Engineer 
or  Pioneer  departments.  Colonel  William  E.  Merrill 
and  Lieutenant-Colonel  H.  C.  Wharton,  being  graduates 
at  West  Point,  and  Chief- Engineer  and  Topographical 
Engineer  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  were  only 
occasionally  with  the  regiment.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Wharton  resigned,  and  Major  Fox  received  from  the 
War  Department  his  commission  as  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
dated  April  17,1865.  This  position  he  held  to  the  close 
of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  of  service  September  26, 
1865.  The  head-quarters  of  the  new  regiment  were  at 
Chattanooga,  and  their  service  was  on  the  fortifications, 
magazines,  water-wmrks,  saw-mills,  block-houses,  bridges, 
barracks,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  the  canvas  p,ontoon 
boats  for  General  Sherman’s  army  in  his  march  to  the 
sea,  as  well  as  those  needed  by  General  Thomas’  com¬ 
mand.  Among  the  evidences  of  personal  favors  from 
General  Thomas  to  Colonel  Fox  is  the  recommendation 
of  his  son,  P.  Newton  Fox,  as  cadet  at  West  Point; 
but,  as  there  w'as  no  vacancy  in  the  at  large  list,  it  was  not 
secured.  After  his  return  from  the  South,  not  desiring 
to  be  idle.  Colonel  Fox  accepted  a  place  with  J.  S. 
Crosby  &  Son,  State  Agents  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Life 
Insurance  Company,  as  solicitor.  Finding  that  his  suc¬ 
cess  was  bettei'  than  he  dared  to  hope,  he  accepted  an 
offer  to  go  to  Pittsburg,  where  he  remained  nearly  one 
year,  meeting  with  marked  success.  The  company  then 
proffered  him  the  State  agency  of  Michigan,  in  place  of 
the  Messrs.  Crosby,  whose  engagements  in  real  estate 
and  fire  insurance  occupied  most  of  their  time.  He 
entered  upon  his  duties  as  State  agent,  in  June,  1867, 
and  has  continued  there  to  the  present  time.  By  constant 
application  to  his  duties,  he  has  avoided  any  entangle¬ 
ments,  and  the  company  has  lost  nothing  by  error  or 
complications.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  brevetted 
Colonel,  for  meritorious  services.  Colonel  Fox  is  a 
member  of  the  Michigan  Sovereign  Grand  Coijsistory, 
Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Right  and  Deuchar  Com- 
mandery  of  Knights  Templar.  Colonel  Fox  is  tall, 
strongly  framed,  and  has  regular,  expressive  features. 
He  is  strong  in  his  convictions,  and  allows  no  conside¬ 
ration  of  convenience  or  profit  to  swer/e  him  from  a 
course  which  he  believes  to  be  right.  His  business 
affairs  are  characterized  by  punctuality,  accuracy,  and 
system.  He  is  a  genial  companion  and  a  good  conversa¬ 


tionalist,  having  a  store  of  anecdote  and  incident.  He 
is  a  self-made  man  of  strong  impulses ;  public-spirited, 
free-hearted,  and  open-handed. 


•♦o 


>'^R ALICE,  HON.  HENRY,  Grand  Rapids,  is  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  was  born  at  Minden, 
I  Montgomery  County,  on  the  9th  of  February, 
'mSo-'  ^  1812.  His  father,  Abraham  Fralick,  originally 

from  Columbia  County,  New  York,  was  a  Captain  in  the 
War  of  1812.  His  grandfather  was  one  of  a  family  of 
fifteen  boys,  eleven  of  whom  were  engaged  in  the  Revolu¬ 
tionary  War,  in  which  four  of  them  were  killed;  of  the 
seven  who  returned,  all  were  wounded.  His  mother 
was  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Henry  Keller,  of  Minden, 
New  York,  who  was  quite  prominent  in  the  community, 
having  been  a  member  of*  the  Assembly  and  the  Senate 
of  the  State.  Mr.  Fralick.  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  native  county,  and  in  Wayne 
County,  where  his  father  removed  in  1824.  The  next 
three  years  were  spent  in  assisting  with  the  work  on  the 
farm;  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  family  removed  to 
Plymouth,  Michigan.  In  1829  he  left  home  to  seek  his 
fortune;  going  to  New  York,  he  worked  on  a  passenger 
boat  of  the  Erie  Canal  for  two  years,  becoming  Captain 
of  the  boat  the  second  year.  In  1832,  at  New  Bedford, 
Massachusetts,  he  shipped,  as  a  hand  before  the  mast,  on 
a  whaling  vessel  bound  for  the  South  Atlantic  and  Indian 
oceans.  On  this  voyage  he  was  gone  two  years,  touch¬ 
ing  at  a  great  many  different  ports,  and  bringing  home 
a  full  cargo  of  whale  oil  and  bone.  'Of  this  Mr.  Fralick 
had  a  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  part  for  his  services;  this 
amounted  to  eighteen  barrels  of  oil,  which  he  sold  for 
twenty-five  dollars  per  barrel ;  and  for  his  share  of 
the  whalebone,  he  realized  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  During  his  voyage  Mr.  Fralick  had  many 
exciting  adventures ;  among  which  was  the  capture  of 
a  sperm-whale  measuring  sixteen  feet  in  diameter  and 
eighty-six  feet  in  length.  He  was  in  the  boat  which 
fastened  to  the  whale,  and  was  towed  in  a  circle  at  the 
rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  a  distance  of  about 
eighty  miles;  the  whale  then  went  down,  taking  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  line  before  stopping.  From  the  head  of  this 
whale  they  took  about  forty-eight  barrels  of  oil;  the  whole 
fish  yielding  one  hundred  and  ten  barrels,  and  being 
worth  nearly  four  thousand  dollars.  In  1834  Mr.  Fralick 
shipped  as  third  mate  in  a  merchant  vessel  bound  for  Rio 
Janeiro  and  other  ports  of  South  America.  He  was  gone 
on  this  voyage  about  seven  months;  after  which  he  was 
engaged  for  another  year  on  several  coasting  vessels,  when 
he  returned  to  Michigan.  In  1836  he  went  to  Detroit  and 
became  clerk  at  the  Michigan  Exchange, —  the  principal 
hotel  in  the  city.  Here  he  remained  nine  months,  when 
he  returned  to  Plymouth,  and  became  clerk  in  the  store 


36 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


of  Henry  B.  Holbrook.  In  1838  he  bought  out  Mr. 
Holbrook's  stock  of  dry  goods,  and  engaged  in  business 
for  himself.  In  a  few  months  he  took  in  as  partners 
Messrs.  Austin  and  Penniman,  the  firm  name  being 
Austin,  Fralick  &  Co.;  and,  after  carrying  on  this  busi¬ 
ness  for  three  years,  sold  his  interest,  bought  a  lumber- 
mill,  and  built  a  flour-mill.  After  two  years,  he  sold  his 
mills  to  Mr.  Austin,  and  again  engaged  in  the  sale  of  dry 
goods.  In  i860  Mr.  Fralick  sold  his  store  and  goods. 
About  a  year  and  a  half  afterwards  he  came  to  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  bought  out  the  interest  of  Mr.  Aldrich 
in  the  bank  of  Ledyard  &  Aldrich;  the  firm  name  then 
became  Ledyard  &  P'ralick,  and  as  such  carried  on  a  very 
successful  banking  business  for  about  five  years,  when  it 
was  dissolved,  and  the  City  National  Bank,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  was  organized;  since  which  time  Mr.  Fralick 
has  been  a  stockholder  and  director  of  this  bank.  Upon 
the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  in-  1861,  he,  with  his  brother 
and  Mr.  Penniman,  raised,  equipped,  and  filed  the  muster- 
roll  of  the  first  company  in  the  State  which  enlisted  for 
three  years;  and  throughout  the  Rebellion  he  gave  his 
energy  and  means  to  aid  the  Government  in  its  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war.  In  1867  he  again  bought  a  stock 
of  goods,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade  for  about 
two  years,  when  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Remington,  and 
began  the  real  estate  business,  in  which  he  still  continues. 
In  1872  he,  with  others,  formed  the  Grand  Rapids  Chair 
Company,  with  a  capital  of  three  hundred  thousand  dol¬ 
lars.  Of  this  company  he  was  Director  for  three  years, 
and  President  two  years;  when,  on  account  of  press  of 
other  business,  he  resigned.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Grand  Rapids  Brush  Company;  and,  at  the  present  time, 
he  is  administrator  of  five  different  estates.  He  carries  on 
the  furniture  business,  giving  employment  to  sixty  men ; 
and  is  also  in  the  coal  and  wood  business.  Mr.  Fralick 
has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Supervisor,  and  County 
Auditor.  He  has  served  for  thirty  years  as  a  school 
officer,  and  for  the  last  four  years  as  President  of  the 
Board  of  Education  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids.  He 
is  Trustee  and  the  Treasurer  of  Olivet  College,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Legislature  for  three  different 
terms.  In  1850  he  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention;  and,  in  1853,  he  was  elected  State  Senator, 
and  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Select  Committee  on 
the  Maine  Law  question.  He  presented  to  the  Senate 
a  petition,  with  one  hundred  thousand  names  annexed, 
in  favor  of  the  passage  of  the  Maine  Law  in  Michigan; 
and,  in  pursuance  thereof,  he  presented  a  bill,  which,  after 
amendment,  became  a  law.  In  1871  he  was  appointed,  by 
the  Governor  of  the  State,  a  member  of  the  Relief  Com¬ 
mittee  for  the  distribution  of  the  funds  sent  to  help  those 
who  were  sufferers  by  the  fire  which  had  devastated  the 
western  part  of  Michigan.  To  the  duties  of  this  commit¬ 
tee  he  devoted,  gratuitously,  seven  months  of  his  time; 
and  the  self-sacrificing  labors  that  he  put  forth  in  behalf 


of  these  sufferers  can  never  be  forgotten.  In  1875 
again  appointed  by  the  Governor  one  of  the  State  Board 
of  Managers  to  represent  Michigan  at  the  National  Cen¬ 
tennial  Exposition,  to  the  discharge  of  which  duty  he 
devoted  about  four  months ;  and  it  was  mainly  owing 
to  his  continued  efforts,  that  the  State  of  Michigan 
owes  the  prominence  which  she  held  at  the  Exposition. 
In  1837,  on  the  23d  of  May,  he  was  married  to  Corinna 
A.,  daughter  of  Henry  Lyon,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  the  town  of  Plymouth,  Michigan;  Mrs.  Fra¬ 
lick  died  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1840.  On  the  22d 
of  April,  1842,  he  married  Jeanette  Woodruff,  of  Ply¬ 
mouth,  Michigan.  They  have  four  children, —  one  son 
and  three  daughters.  Being  highly  regarded  for  the 
soundness  of  his  judgment,  and  ever  ready  to  help  by 
his  influence  and  counsel,  he  has  held  for  five  years  the 
position  of  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  the 
Congregational  Church  of  Grand  Rapids.  In  the  public 
career  of  Mr.  Fralick,  every  step  is  marked  by  con¬ 
scientious  effort,  based  on  principle.  Emphatically,  he 
is  a  man  of  energy,  sterling  integrity,  and  unselfish  gen¬ 
erosity. 


f  ERRY,  MAJOR  NOAH  HENRY,  late  of  Grand 
Plaven,  Michigan,  was  born  on  the  Island  of 
^  Mackinaw,  April  30,  1831.  He  was  the  third 
^  son  of  the  Rev.  William  M.  and  Amanda  W. 
Ferry,  who  settled  in  Grand  Haven,  in  1834.  His  home 
influences  were  such  as  to  develop  in  him  a  strong, 
thoroughly  cultivated  mind ;  an  honorable,  lovable  charac¬ 
ter,  and  an  unblemished  life.  His  aunt,  Mary  A.  White, 
later  a  teacher  at  Rockford  Seminary,  Illinois,  had 
charge  of  his  early  training.  He  afterwards  graduated 
at  Bell’s  Commercial  College,  Chicago,  with  such  credit 
that  he  was  selected  immediately  to  conduct  one  of 
the  vacant  departments  of  the  institution.  His  busi¬ 
ness  life  was  spent  at  White  River,  thirty  miles  north 
of  Grand  Haven,  where  he  was  associated  with  his 
brother,  Edward  P.  Ferry.  He  laid  out  the  village  now' 
called  Montague,  and  was  engaged  as  a  lumber  merchant. 
He  possessed,  by  inheritance  and  education,  qualities 
essential  to  his  success  in  life.  Peculiar  energy,  and 
force  of  character;  a  generous,  loving  heart,  combined 
with  a  clear  apprehension  of  the  social  and  political 
duties  of  a  citizen,  won  for  him  the  hearty  respect  of 
all.  In  1861  he  was  in  the  full  tide  of  business  success, 
and  in  the  active  control  of  large  pecuniary  interests; 
but,  when  it  became  evident  that  the  country  required 
the  aid  of  every  competent  man  in  the  field,  to  insure 
a  prompt  crushing  out  of  treason,  he  tendered  his  ser¬ 
vices  for  any  post  in  which  he  might  be  needed.  Cir¬ 
cumstances  prevented  his  accepting  the  commission  of 
Adjutant  in  the  3d  Michigan  Cavalry,  which  was  offered 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


37 


him.  In  the  ensuing  summer,  the  exigencies  of  the  war 
demanded  immediately  increased  enlistments;  and,  within 
twenty-four  hours  after  the  energetic  call,  he  organized 
a  company  of  one  hundred  and  two  men.  August  14, 
1862,  he  was  commissioned  Captain  of  Company  F,  5th 
Michigan  Cavalry.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Wash¬ 
ington,  and  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Army  of  the  Poto¬ 
mac.  .Pie  participated  in  active  out-post  duty,  with  his 
regiment;  gained  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his 
superior  officers,  and  the  unwavering  trust  and  love  of 
his  men.  He  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major. 
On  the  3d  of  July,  1863,  when  leading  his  battalion  on 
the  field  of  Gettysburg,  with  the  inspiring  word  “On¬ 
ward”  he  fell,  shot  through  the  head,  instantly  killed. 
A  braver  or  more  chivalrous  soldier  never  fell  on  the 
field  of  battle.  He  shrunk  from  no  duty,  and  permitted 
his  men  to  incur  no  privation  which  he  did  not  share. 
His  body,  wrapped  in  the  flag  he  died  defending,  was 
taken  to  Grand  Haven.  A  monument  in  the  Grand 
Haven  cemetery  marks  his  grave. 

- - 


if'^ISK,  COLONEL  JOSEPH,  Allegan,  was  born 
j|  May  22,  1810,  in  Franklin  County,  Massachu- 
■  ^  setts.  His  parents,  Jasper  and  Hannah  Fisk, 
were  natives  of  the  same  place,  but  moved  to 
Western  New  York  in  1816,  where  his  father  engaged  in 
farming,  and  as  a  contractor  on  the  Erie  Canal  —  the 
latter  being  an/  occupation  that  greatly  influenced  the 
business  life  of  our  subject.  The  ancestors  of  the  family 
came  from  England.  Colonel  Fisk  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Manchester,  Ontario  County.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  united  with  the  Baptist  Church  of  that 
place,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Marion  Allen,  latterly 
so  well  known  among  Michigan  men  and  pioneer  min¬ 
isters.  About  the  same  time  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn 
the  carpenter  and  joiner’s  trade.  At  twenty,  he  com¬ 
menced  business  for  himself.  The  Eagle  Hotel,  Roch¬ 
ester  Bank,  and  many  other  prominent  buildings  in  the 
city  were  built  by  him.  In  1834  he  went  to  the  town¬ 
ship  of  Marengo,  Calhoun  County,  Michigan,  where  he 
remained  one  year,  and  spent  some  time  in  looking  for  a 
home  for  his  family.  He  finally  settled  in  Allegan 
County, — which  was  at  that  time  a  part  of  Kalamazoo 
County, — where  he  still  resides.  At  the  first  election  of 
the  county  for  delegates  to  form  a  State  Constitution,  only 
sixteen  votes  were  cast, —  three  families  comprising  all  the 
white  settlers  in  the  four  northern  townships.  The  first 
child  born  of  white  parents  was  a  son  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Colonel  Fisk  built  the  second  house  in  the 
town  of  Allegan,  and  carried  on  the  occupation  of  building 
for  about  three  years.  He  then  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
and  produce  business  until  1852.  During  this  time  he 
was  Register  of  Deeds  and  Sheriff  of  the  county, — each 


one  term.  In  1852  he  removed  to  Chicago,  and  built 
the  breakwater  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad;  and  laid 
the  track  and  foundations  for  their  depot  buildings,  at 
a  cost  of  about  $3,000,000.  This  work  occupied  a 
period  of  five  years.  During  that  time  he  also  built  the 
Milwaukee  pile  bridging  across  the  bay, — -one  and  one- 
half  miles, —  and  also  the  first  division  of  the  Dubuque 
and  Pacific  Railroad,  under  charge  of  Colonel  Mason. 
In  1857  he  built  about  seventy-five  miles  of  the  south¬ 
west  branch  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad;  and,  at 
the  same  time,  was  engaged  in  constructing  a  portion 
of  the  Memphis,  El  Paso  and  Pacific  Railroad,  through 
Texas, — about  six  hundred  miles.  On  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Rebellion,  however,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
State,  and  lose  the  whole  amount.  In  the  midst  of  the 
conflict,  attended  by  almost  insurmountable  difficulties, 
he  built  seventy-five  miles  on  the  main  line  of  the  Mis¬ 
souri  Pacific,  west  of  Sedalia.  In  the  year  1865,  Colonel 
Fisk  was  engaged,  in  company  with  Colonel  I.  Condit 
Smith,  in  building  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the 
Northern  Missouri  Railroad,  including  the  Kansas 
Branch,  for  which  they  received  their  entire  pay  in  the 
bonds  of  the  road,  to  the  amount  of  about  $5,000,000; 
Colonel  Smith  negotiated  for  the  bonds,  while  Colonel 
Fisk  had  charge  of  the  works.  On  the  completion  of 
this  road.  Colonel  Fisk  returned  to  Michigan;  and,  in 
company  with  Goss  Warner,  F.  H.  May,  Mill  and  Con¬ 
verse,  inaugurated  and  built  the  Grand  Rapids  Division 
of  the  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  via  Allegan.  This 
was  completed  in  1868,  and  sold  to  the  company.  In 
the  following  year  Colonel  Fisk  completed  the  Michigan 
Lake  Shore  Railroad,  from  Allegan  to  Muskegon.  He 
also  built  that  portion  of  the  Northern  Central  Road 
from  Jonesville  to  Lansing.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church  for  fifty-one  years,  and  has  con¬ 
tributed  liberally  to  its  support.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  having  joined  the  Oriental 
Lodge,  of  Chicago,  in  1852.  Plis  political  views  have 
always  been  strongly  Democratic.  He  was  married, 
January  12,  1832,  to  Betsy  Davis,  of  Wilmington  County, 
New  York.  They  have  had  six  children, —  five  sons  and 
one  daughter, —  three  of  whom  are  living.  Colonel  Fisk 
is  a  man  of  strong  mental  and  physical  endowments; 
and,  though  nearly  seventy  years  of  age,  he  retains  all 
the  force  of  character  which  has  marked  him  through  life. 


^fREEMAN,  HON.  FR.LNKLIN  S.,  of  Ionia, 
Michigan,  a  member  of  the  present  Michigan 
State  Senate  (1877-78),  was  born  at  Sutton, 
Worcester  County,  Massachusetts,  in  the  year 
829.  Plis  father,  Joseph  L.  Freeman,  an  extensive 
'oolen  manufacturer  of  that  place,  failed  in  business 
1  the  great  crash  of  1838,  and  moved  to  Lenawee 
ounty,  Michigan,  in  1839.  He  remained  there  until 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


3S 

1843,  when  he  removed  to  Ionia  County.  Franklin  S., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  with  his  father  on  a  farm, 
when  not  at  school,  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
left  his  father’s  home,  an.d  started  for  himself  in  the 
world.  He  was  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry-goods  stor.e 
until  1849,  when  he  was  married,  at  Ionia,  Michigan, 
to  Miss  Mary  Baldee,  and  then  entered  into  the  dry- 
goods  business  with  his  wife’s  father.  His  health  failing, 
in  1851,  he  left  mercantile  pursuits,  and  purchased  a 
farm  near  Ionia,  on  which  he  lived  for  several  years. 
In  1869,  having  accumulated  a  competency,  and  secured 
a  return  of  good  health,  he  again  removed  to  the  city 
of  loniaj  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  money-loaning 
and  insurance.  In  1873,  Hvo  years  after  the  incor¬ 
poration  of  the  People’s  Fire  Insurance  Company,  at 
Ionia,  Mr.  Freeman  w'as  elected  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
of  the  company,  which  position  he  now  holds.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  in  1861,  Mr.  Freeman 
W'as  a  Democrat,  but  in  hearty  sympathy  w’ith  the 
Government  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war.  He  con¬ 
tributed  largely  of  his  time  and  money  tow'ards  raising 
troops  to  put  down  the  Rebellion.  Upon  the  assas¬ 
sination  of  President  Lincoln,  Mr.  Freeman  left  the 
Democratic  party,  and  became  a  pronounced  and  ardent 
Republican.  In  1876  he  was  elected  to  represent  the 
Twenty-fourth  District,  comprising  Ionia  and  Montcalm 
counties,  in  the  State  Senate,  receiving  a  majority  of 
1,625  votes  oyer  his  Democratic  competitor.  He  has 
been,  since  1867,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity; 
and,  for  several  years,  has  been  Master  of  Washtenong 
Lodge,  No.  286.  He  is  the  presiding  officer  of  Ionia 
Chapter,  No.  14,  of  Royal  Arch  Masons,  and  is  also  a 
Knight  Templar.  Pie  was,  for  a  period  of  seventeen 
years.  Superintendent  of  the  Baptist  Sunday  School,  of 
which  church  he  is  a  member.  As  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate  of  1877,  he  introduced  and  secured  the 
passage  of  several  important  bills,  and  wms  a  diligent 
and  efficient  Senator.  He  served  as  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Insurance,  and  wms  a  member  of  the 
Engrossing  and  Enrolling  Committee;  also,  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  .State  Public  Schools,  and  that  of  Religious 
and  Benevolent  Societies.  Mr.  Freeman’s  success  in 
life  is  largely  due  to  his  unswerving  business  integ¬ 
rity,  and  promptness  in  meeting  financial  and  other 
obligations, —  never  having  allowed  his  note  to  go  past 
due,  or  failed  to  be  prompt  to  the  day  in  a  busi¬ 
ness  engagement.  This  trait  of  character  has  always 
been  peculiar  to  him,  and  has  given  him  unlimited 
credit,  enabling  him  to  readily  command  all  the  money 
he  required  to  carry  out  his  financial  enterprises.  He 
has  considerable  literary  taste,  and  is  a  writer  of  some 
ability.  He  is  familiar  with  European  and  American 
history.  He  was,  for  several  years.  President  of  the 
Ronald  Literary  Association  of  Ionia  County.  He  is 
now  in  the  prime  of  life,  of  strong  and  vigorous  consti¬ 


tution  ;  and  the  problem  of  his  success  seems  solved. 
A  prominent  member  and  an  active  worker  in  the 
church,  he  occupies  a  place  in  society  as  a  Christian, 
a  business  man,  and  a  public-spirited  citizen. 


IVITZGERALD,  JOPIN  C.,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  was  born  in  Berlin,  Holmes  County, 
Ohio.  His  father,  Jeremiah  Fitzgerald,  —  Cap¬ 
tain  of  volunteers  in  the  War  of  1812, — was  a 
pioneer  of  Springport,  Jackson  County,  Michigan,  wdiere 
he  died  in  1868.  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  wdien  a  boy,  attended 
the  common  school,  and  afterwards,  Albion  College. 
He  studied  law,  in  the  office  of  Governor  Blair,  at  Jack- 
son,  Michigan,  and  w'as  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858. 
In  i860  he  removed  to  Marshall,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  until  1873.  During  this 
time,  he  also  held  several  positions  of  trust ;  as,  that  of 
Prosecuting  Attorney,  from  1861  to  1865,  and  that  of 
State  Senator,  in  1869.  In  1873  he  entered  into  part¬ 
nership  w'ith  John  W.  Champlin,  and  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids.  He  had  there  a  large  and  constantly  increasing 
practice,  both  in  the  State  and  Federal  courts.  He  is 
a  man  of  fine  physical  development,  strong  intellect,  and 
quick  perceptions,  and  has  always  been  an  untiring  stu¬ 
dent.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law'  with  a 
determination  to  stand  among  the  first  in  the  profession. 
His  great  strength  lies  in  the  thoroughness  with  w’hich 
he  prepares  his  cases;  both  the  law  and  the  facts  are 
fully  digested  and  arranged.  Pie  takes  direct  and  per¬ 
sonal  interest  in  his  clients;  and,  although  he  has  no-t 
yet  reached  middle  age,  his  reputation  is  already  estab¬ 
lished.  In  1862,  Mr.  P'itzgerald  married  Addie  E. 
Taylor,  of  Albion,  Michigan,  only  daughter  of  Reuben 
Taylor,  an  early  settler,  and  a  prominent  farmer  of 
Jackson  County. 


ii'''EAKINS,  EDWARD,  of  Wyoming,  son  of  Henry 
and  Sarah  (Russell)  Feakins,  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Newnum,  East  Kent,  England,  Decem- 
^  ber  21,  1797*  The  educational  advantages  then 
afforded  the  humbler  classes  of  the  people  were  limited; 
and  the  few  who  could  attend  school  were  poorly  pro¬ 
vided  with  books, —  or,  at  least,  with  writing  utensils, — 
a  box  of  white  sand  being  attached  to  each  desk  as  a 
copy-book,  with  sticks  for  pens.  But  even  these  crude 
means  of  improvement  were  denied  to  him  whose  rugged 
w'ay  we  are  to  trace;  for  his  parents  w'ere  able  to  send 
only  two  of  their  eleven  children  to  school,  and  Edward, 
at  the  age  of  eleven,  was  hired  out  to  a  farmer  at  a 
salary  of  ;,65  a  year.  For  more  than  twenty  years  Mr. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


39 


Feakins  was  a  farm  laborer  in  his  native  land;  but,  find¬ 
ing  himself  unable  to  rise  to  independence  under  the  con¬ 
ditions  there  existing,  he  saved  his  hard  earnings,  year 
after  year,  in  anticipation  of  a  time  when  he  should  be 
able  to  go  to  the  United  States,  which  was  then  just  open¬ 
ing  her  wide  domain  to  the  millions  that  have  since 
occupied  it.  At  last  his  hopes  were  realized;  and,  having 
embarked  in  a  sail-ship,  he  arrived  in  New  York  in  the 
spring  of  1832,  after  a  tedious  voyage.  His  father,  in 
parting  from  him,  said  that  he  would  like  to  give  him 
something,  but  had  nothing  to  give  but  good  advice; 
and  that  was,  “to  behave  himself;  be  honest,  and  take 
nothing  that  did  not  belong  to  him.”  Edward  thanked 
his  father,  and  to  this  day  has  followed  his  advice.  New 
York  and  Pennsylvania  were  then  slave  States;  and,  with 
surprise  and  regret,  Mr.  Feakins  saw  men  bought  and 
sold  like  cattle.  He  spent  more  than  two  years  in  these 
two  States,  most  of  the  time  in  the  lumber  woods  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  then  worked  his  way,  gradually,  to 
Detroit.  From  there  he  traveled  on  foot  to  Gull  Prairie; 
where  he  worked  for  a  few  months,  and  then  pushed  on 
toward  Grand  River,  The  atmosphere  of  Michigan,  at 
that  time,  was  laden  with  miasma,  and  the  settlers  suf¬ 
fered  greatly  from  chills  and  fever.  Mr.  Feakins’ 
employer  and  his  family  were  prostrated  with  it,  which 
caused  Mr.  Feakins  to  seek  another  position.  The  dis¬ 
tance  from  Gull  Prairie  to  what  is  now  Wyoming  Town¬ 
ship  is  about  fifty  miles;  And,  though  the  trail  led  through 
a  wilderness,  the  greater  part  of  the  way  uninhabited,  and 
he  was  already  prostrated,  by  disease,  he  started  on  foot, 
determined  to  accomplish  the  journey.  Once,  utterly 
exhausted  and  burning  with  fever,  he  fell  by  the  -way 
and  lay  there  to  die.  A  lone  wagoner,  driving  slowly 
by,  urged  him  to  ride  back  with  him  to  Gull  Prairie, 
but  he  refused,  saying  there  was  no  one  to  care  for  him 
there.  Soon  rousing  all  his  remaining  strength,  he  stum¬ 
bled  on,  until,  just  as  he  was  about  to  sink  again  in 
despair,  he  heard  the  tinkle  of  a  cow-bell.  Never  had 
he  heard  anything  that  did  him  half  so  much  good  as 
that.  It  put  new  life  into  him;  for  he  knew  there  must 
be  white  people  not  far  away.  It  required  miles  of 
weary  travel  to  find  the  cabin ;  but,  once  there,  he  was 
cared  for  as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit.  The 
house  was  that  night  broken  open  by  Indians,  in  search 
of  whisky,  but  no  one  was  hurt,  and  he  was  soon  able 
to  finish  his  journey.  In  the  following  spring,  with  a 
pair  of  oxen,  and  a  bag  of  corn  for  feed  lashed  to  their 
yoke,  he  started  to  secure  a  load  of  apple-trees  that  had 
been  mired,  about  twenty-five  miles  distant,  strangely 
neglecting  to  provide  himself  with  food.  After  hard 
work,  he  finally  succeeded  in  dragging  the  wagon  out 
of  the  half-frozen  mud,  but  was  obliged  to  pass  the  night 
without  shelter,  food,  or  fire.  He  walked  about  to  avoid 
being  frozen;  but  now  and  then,  overcome  by  fatigue 
and  drowsiness,  fell  asleep.  He  was  not  disturbed,  save 


by  the  whooping  of  an  owl;  and,  after  a  fast  of  forty- 
eight  hours,  reached  his  home  with  his  precious  freight, — 
the  first  fruit-trees  ever  brought  into  Grand  River  Yal- 
ley.  They  are  still  flourishing  in  Mr.  Norma’s  orchard, 
in  Wyoming,  Kent  County.  In  the  same  township,  Mr. 
Feakins  then  selected  the  land  upon  which  lie  now  resides. 
The  log  cabin  he  then  built  has  given  place  to  a  large 
brick  mansion;  and  the  little  clearing  around  it  has  been 
widened,  year  after  year,  till  it  has  become  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  the  county.  It  was  in  1834  that  he 
entered  Grand  River  Yalley.  He  helped  to  raise  the 
fourth  and  fifth  houses  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  dug  the 
grave  of  the  first  white  child  that  died  in  that  city. 
June  2,  1841,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emily  Johnson. 
Mrs.  Feakins  still  bears  the  freshness  of  youth;  and  upon 
her,  now  that  her  husband  is  so  aged  and  feeble, 
devolves,  mainly,  the  direction  of  his  affaiTs.  Mr. 
Feakins  is  a  small  man,  but  was  blessed  with  great  pow¬ 
ers  of  endurance.  Of  his  personal  character,  it  is  said 
that  he  has  ever  been  honest,  industrious,  and  benevo¬ 
lent;  and  has  never,  intentionally,  wronged  any  one.  He 
is  now  in  his  eighty-second  year,  and  his  spirit  seems  to 
be  gradually  freeing  itself  from  the  enfeebled  body,  to 
rise  to  a  higher  existence.  He  is  conscious  of  this,  and 
awaits  the  change  with  calmness  and  hope. 

- - -KX - 

/IglLBERT,  HON.  THOMAS  D.,  Grand  Rapids, 
IB  TlSt  was  born  in  Greenfield,  Massachusetts,  on  the  13th 
of  December,  1815.  His  father  was  General 
Thomas  Gilbert,  and  his  mother  was  Harriet  A.  Arms, 
daughter  of  Ebenezer  Arms,  of  Greenfield,  Massachu¬ 
setts.  Mr.  Gilbert  received  his  early  education  in  the 
common  school  of  his  native  village,  and  afterward  at¬ 
tended  an  academy  at  Deerfield.  In  1830  he  entered 
the  store  of  that  well-known  philanthropist,  John  Clark, 
of  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  where  he  served  as  a 
clerk,  and  remained  five  years.  In  May,  1835,  he 
removed  to  Michigan,  being  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
in  the  town  of  Grand  Haven.  He  immediately  went 
into  business,  in  company  with  others;  but  the  great 
financial  crash  of  1837  carried  down  the  firm,  leaving 
Mr.  Gilbert  with  no  resources,  except  his  health  and  the 
experience  gained  by  two  years  of  unsuccessful  business. 
In  1844  he  entered  into  a  business  partnership  with 
Francis  B.  Gilbert,  a  younger  brother,  carrying  on  a 
large  lumber,  ship])ing,  and  commission  business,  which 
proved  to  be  very  successful  from  the  first,  and  continued 
to  increase  with  the  growth  of  the  country.  Having 
accpiired  a  competency,  Mr.  Gilbert  retired  from  busi¬ 
ness  in  1856,  devoting  the  next  two  years  to  traveling 
in  the  United  States,  Eurojie,  and  the  Orient.  He  re¬ 
turned  to  Michigan  in  the  autumn  of  1858,  and  located 
at  Grand  Rapids.  During  his  residence  in  Grand  Haven, 


40 


REPRESENTATIVE  xMEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Ottawa  County  in  1842.  In 
i860  he  was  elected  to  the  Lower  House  of  the  Michi¬ 
gan  Legislature,  serving  acceptably  on  the  Committee 
of  Ways  and  Means,  and  of  Banks  and  Incorporations, 
It  was  at  a  time  when  the  finances  of  the  State  were  in 
a  deplorable  condition,  its  resources  being  taxed  to  the 
utmost  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  Government  in  aid¬ 
ing  to  suppress  the  Rebellion.  In  1863  Mr.  Gilbert  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity  of  Michigan,  in  which  capacity  he  served  dur¬ 
ing  twelve  years,  receiving  no  compensation,  except  the 
payment  of  his  traveling  expenses.  During  all  this 
period,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  the 
Board,  being  considered  a  faithful  and  valuable  member. 
In  1865,  when  the  City  National  Bank  was  organized, 
Mr.  Gilbert  was  chosen  its  first  President,  and  still  con¬ 
tinues  at  the  head  of  this  flourishing  institution.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works  for  the 
city  of  Grand  Rapids,  he  was  chosen  President,  and  still 
holds  the  position.  Under  the  direction  of  this  Board, 
a  fine  system  of  water-works  has  been  constructed,  and 
put  in  operation;  and  a  large  amount  of  other  public 
work  accomplished.  Mr.  Gilbert  is  also  Secretary  and 
Managing  Director  of  the  Grand  Rapids  Gas  Company. 
In  1871,  he  married  Mary  A.  Bingham,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Abel  Bingham,  who,  for  thirty  years,  was  a  missionary 
among  the  Ojibway  Indians,  at  SaultSte.  Marie,  on  Lake 
Superior. 

- - K>* - - 

« LOVER,  MAJOR  SAMUEL  C.,  of  Grand  Haven, 
Michigan,  was  born  at  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  Sep- 
X— ,v- '  tember  ii,  1841.  His  parents,  Elijah  and  Sarah 
J.  (Offner)  Glover,  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Southern  Ohio.  His  father,  in  1830,  was  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Portsmouth  Courier,  the  first  newspaper 
ever  printed  in  that  place.  He  afterwards  became  a 
prominent  lawyer.  Major  Glover  was  in  the  sophomore 
class  of  Miami  University,  when  the  Government  called 
upon  loyal  men  to  enter  the  army.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  in  the  State  to  enlist.  Owing  to  sickness,  he  was 
not  mustered  into  service  until  July  12,  1861.  He  was  a 
private  in  Company  A,  39th  Ohio  Infantry,  the  celebrated 
“Groesbeck  Regiment”  of  Cincinnati.  His  regiment 
was  ordered  to  St.  Louis,  and  thence  to  Northern  Mis¬ 
souri.  It  was  engaged,  for  several  months,  in  the  ardu¬ 
ous  service  of  guerrilla  fighting.  For  thirteen  months. 
Major  Glover  participated  in  all  its  engagements,  fight¬ 
ing  at  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10,  Fort  Pillow,  the 
siege  of  Corinth,  and  the  battle  of  Corinth,  in  October, 
1862.  He  was  put  on  special  duty  in  the  Commissary 
Department,  and  served  through  all  of  Grant’s  campaign, 
until  after  the  taking  of  Vicksburg.  While  there,  Gen¬ 
eral  Grant’s  Chief  Commissary,  Colonel  M,  McFeely, 


recommended  him  for  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Captain 
and  Commissary  of  Subsistence.  The  Commissary,  with 
whom  he  was  on  duty,  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis  to  pur¬ 
chase  vegetables  and  extra  supplies  for  use  in  the  hospi¬ 
tals  of  Vicksburg.  Captain  Glover  took  charge  of  his  first 
shipment,  and  on  his  return,  was  entrusted  by  the  Chief 
Commissary  of  Vicksburg  with  ^32,000,  to  carry  to  St. 
Louis,  for  the  use  of  the  purchasing  officer  at  that  point. 
The  boat  on  which  he  took  passage  was  crowded  with 
Union  soldiers  going  home  on  furlough,  and  rebel  de¬ 
serters  going  North.  There  were  eleven  hundred  pas¬ 
sengers,  and  Mr.  Glover  was  compelled  to  sleep  on  the 
cabin  floor  during  the  trip,  which  was  unusually  long; 
but  he  brought  the  money  through  safely.  In  April, 
1864,  he  received,  from  the  Governor  of  Ohio,  a  com¬ 
mission  as  First  Lieutenant  in  the  73d  Regiment  of  Ohio 
Veteran  Infantry;  but  before  he  reached  his  command, 
he  was  assigned  to  duty,  by  order  of  General  Sherman,  as 
Acting  Commissary  of  Subsistence,  at  Nashville,  Ten¬ 
nessee.  He  took  charge  of,  and  delivered  to  the  army 
at  Chattanooga  the  first  drove  of  beef  cattle  which  was 
sent  through  from  Nashville  to  that  place.  He  drove 
nearly  one  thousand  head  of  cattle,  without  guides,  and 
with  only  five  herdsmen,  over  a  route  new  to  him, 
through  a  country  filled  with  guerrillas,  and  delivered 
them  to  the  army  at  Chattanooga,  with  the  loss  of  only 
three  head.  The  drive  of  one  hundred  arid  fifty-one  miles 
was  accomplished  in  twelve  and  a  half  days.  In  June, 

1864,  the  recommendation  of  Colonel  McFeely  was 
acted  upon,  and  Captain  Glover  was  appointed,  by 
President  Lincoln,  Commissary  of  Subsistence,  with  the 
rank  of  Captain.  This  appointment  was  confirmed  by 
the  United  States  Senate,  and  a  commission  was  for¬ 
warded  July  I,  1864.  Captain  Glover  was  stationed  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee;  but,  at  his  own  request,  was  or¬ 
dered  to  the  field,  and  served  on  the  staff  of  General  R. 
W.  Johnson,  as  Commissary  of  the  6th  Cavalry  Divi¬ 
sion,  through  Hood’s  campaign.  He  was  then  transferred 
to  the  4th  Army  Corps,  and  passed  through  the  East 
Tennessee  campaign.  In  June,  1865,  he  went  to  New 
Orleans;  and,  by  order  of  General  Sheridan,  was  de¬ 
tached  from  the  4th  Army  Corps,  and  put  in  charge  of 
the  Commissary  Department  at  Indianola,  Texas.  He 
had  charge  of  all  the  supplies  for  the  Central  District  of 
Texas,  and  remained  there  until  the  close  of  the  year 

1865.  In  January,  1866,  he  was  mustered  out  of  service, 
and  received,  from  President  Johnson,  a  commission  as 
Major.  He  engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  West 
Liberty,  Logan  County,  Ohio,  until  1867.  In  1870  he 
became  the  managing  partner  in  the  lumber  firm  of 
White,  Glover  &  Co.,  Grand  Haven,  Michigan.  A  fire, 
which  occurred  July  4,  1877,  swept  away  the  labor  and 
earnings  of  six  years.  Major  Glover  at  once  leased  a 
mill  in  the  vicinity,  and,  within  a  week,  had  it  in  opera¬ 
tion,  and  finished  his  contracts  for  sawing  lumber.  In 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


4^ 


politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican;  but,  in  municipal  and 
county  elections,  he  always  votes  for  the  best  man,  with¬ 
out  regard  to  party.  He  is  a  prominent  Free  Mason 
and  Knight  Templar,  and  has  fdled  important  positions 
in  the  Chapter,  at  Grand  Haven.  He  is  an  elder  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church;  and,  as  an  active  Christian 
worker,  has  few  equals.  His  position  as  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
best-conducted  in  the  State,  has  brought  him  into  inti¬ 
mate  relationship  wdth  the  young,  among  whom  his 
influence  has  been  marked  and  salutary.  In  his  social 
and  business  relations,  he  has  won  the  esteem  and  confi¬ 
dence  of  the  community.  He  married,  September  5, 
1866,  Fannie  E.,  daughter  of  the  late  Rev.  Seth  and 
Mary  Roberts  Howell.  They  have  three  children. 

- K>« - 

tUNDRUM,  FREDERICK,  M.  D.,  Physician  and 
Surgeon,  Ionia,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Pirmasens, 
a  city  of  Bavaria,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1845. 
H  is  father,  Peter  Gundrum,  was  an  industrious,  energetic 
man,  and  a  sincere  Christian.  His  mother,  Catherine 
Gundrum,  is  a  kind,  self-sacrificing,  patient  mother, 
devoted  to  the  welfare  and  advancement  of  her  chil¬ 
dren.  It  is  to  her  remarkable  perseverance  that  they  owe 
the  advantages  whicli  have  resulted  to  them  from  emigra¬ 
tion  ;  as  a  family  of  eight  persons,  after  a  voyage  of 
forty-one  days,  from  Havre,  France,  they  arrived  safely 
at  New  Orleans,  December  31,  1854.  From  there,  the 
family  removed  to  Stewartsville,  a  village  in  Posey  County, 
Indiana.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  worked  on  a 
farm  in  summer,  and  went  to  school  in  winter,  thus 
obtaining  a  district-school  education,  and  learning,  at  the 
same  time,  to  speak  English.  The  death  of  his  father, 
caused  by  an  accident,  left  him,  in  his  seventeenth  year, 
dependent  upon  his  own  resources.  He  had  ardently 
desired  to  obtain  a  classical  education  before  becoming 
of  age,  but  this  was  now  impossible;  and,  instead,  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  A.  E.  Fretageot  & 
Son,  in  New  Harmony,  Indiana.  This  proved  to  be  an 
important  step  in  his  life ;  for  he  soon  acquired  such 
])roficiency  in  business  as  to  elicit  high  commendation 
from  his  employers,  and  gain  the  notice  of  a  lady  of 
wealth,  distinction,  and  excellence  of  character,  who, 
learning  from  his  employer  the  young  man’s  disposition 
and  thirst  for  knowledge,  invited  him  to  make  her 
house  his  home;  this  invitation  he  gladly  accepted,  and 
thus  had  the  advantage  of  4  good  library.  Here  a  work 
on  the  science  of  medicine,  so  much  interested  him  that 
he  desired  to  study  it  whenever  he  had  a  moment’s 
leisure,  and  took  it  to  the  store;  there  he' was  noticed  by 
a  physician,  who  offered  him  the  use  of  any  book  in  his 
medical  library;  and  thus  was  decided  the  adoption  of 
his  profession.  He  remained  with  Messrs.  Fretageot  & 
U1 


Son  three  years;  and,  in  that  time,  read  as  much  of  the 
science  of  medicine  as  is  usually  accomplished  by  regu¬ 
lar  medical  students  during  a  similar  period  ;  then,  being 
desirous  of  attending  a  course  of  medical  lectures,  he 
was  enabled  to  do  so  by  the  assistance  of  his  brothers. 
He  went  to  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  there,  deny¬ 
ing  himself  everything  but  the  absolute  necessities  of  life, 
studied  one  year.  Desiring  the  advantages  which  hos¬ 
pital  clinics  afford  to  the  student  of  medicine  and  surgery, 
there  being  no  hospital  at  Ann  Arbor,  he  went  to  Cincin¬ 
nati,  and  there  matriculated,  in  the  autumn  of  1867,  at  the 
Miami  Medical  College.  Besides  attending  the  regular 
course  of  lectures,  he  took  private  instructions  from  lead¬ 
ing  professors.  In  P'cbruary,  1868,  he  graduated,  with 
the  highest  honors  of  the  class,  and  at  once  entered  the 
list  of  candidates  for  the  position  of  house  physician  to 
the  Cincinnati  Hospital.  After  a  rigid  examination,  he 
was  chosen  entirely  on  his  merits,  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  that  position  for  one  year  from  the  lolh  of 
March,  1868.  In  April,  1869,  he  removed  to  Ionia, 
Michigan,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
An  extraordinary  case  of  anchylosis, —  which,  shortly 
after  his  arrival  at  Ionia,  he  treated  most  successfully, 
the  patient  being  a  daughter  of  Professor  Hutchins, —  at 
once  established  his  reputation  and  superior  skill  in  sur¬ 
gery,  which  many  other  most  difficult,  but  successfully 
performed  operations,  have  entirely  confirmed;  placing 
him,  as  a  surgeon  and  physician,  at  the  head  of  his 
profession  in  Ionia  County.  But  Dr.  Gundrum’s  prac¬ 
tice  is  not  confined  to  that  county;  his  services,  especi¬ 
ally  those  of  a  surgical  character,  being  solicited  in  all 
the  adjoining  counties.  Dr.  Gundrum  is  a  member  of 
the  State  Medical  Association;  examining  physician  for 
two  Michigan  insurance  companies;  the  Ionia  Light 
Guard,  and  the  western  division  of  the  D.,  L.  &  L.  M. 
Railroad.  In  1870  he  became  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Fraternity,  and  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason.  In  1873  he  was 
initiated  into  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows,  and 
is  a  R.  P.  member.  In  1876  he  became  a  charter  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  first  body  of  the  Knights  of  Honor  organized 
in  Ionia.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  since  May,  1877,  and  regards  the  teachings  of  the 
Bible  as  his  rule  and  guide  in  life.  Personally,  he  has 
all  the  enthusiasm  of  an  ardent  lover,  and  that  magne¬ 
tism  of  manner  and  faculty  of  inspiring  confidence  in 
his  operations  so  essential  to  patients;  he  is  also  a 
devoted  friend,  a  loving  and  helpful  brother.  While 
yet  upon  the  threshold  of  the  prime  of  life,  he  has 
attained  a  position  of  comparative  independence.  Al¬ 
though  regarded  as  a  master  by  others,  he  considers 
himself  yet  a  student  of  his  profession;  and,  so  consid¬ 
ering,  in  the  autumn  of  1873,  he  left  home,  and  spent 
the  following  five  months  attending  the  lectures  of  emi¬ 
nent  colleges  in  New  York  City.  So  unusual  a  move¬ 
ment  on  the  part  of  an  established  physician  proves 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


him  to  be  a  true  disciple  of  Esculapius,  regarding  him¬ 
self  ever  a  student  in  that  profession  wherein  there  is  no 
limit  to  study.  Dr.  Gundrum  has  the  finest  library  of 
standard  medical  works,  in  French,  English  and  German, 
in  Ionia  County.  In  1872  Dr.  Gundrum  married  Ida 
P'retageot,  of  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  daughter  of  his 
former  employer.  A  lady  of  education  and  elegant  man¬ 
ners,  Mrs.  Gundrum  has  every  accomplishment  to  grace 
her  husband’s  station,  and  help  him  in  his  life-labor  of 
alleviating  the  sufferings  of  humanity. 


/I ^ODFREY,  FREEMAN,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
irli  born  at  Vershire,  Orange  County,  Vermont, 
on  the  5th  of  September,  1825.  His  ancestors 
were  among  the  first  settlers  in  the  State.  His  grand¬ 
father  was  born  at  Northwood,  New  Hampshire,  and 
settled  in  Vermont  in  1789.  He  was  a  farmer,  as  was 
also  his  son,  the  father  of  our  subject.  The  family  name 
is  very  old,  and  can  be  traced  back  eight  hundred  years 
to  its  French  Alsatian  origin,  in  the  present  German 
Province  of  Lorraine.  In  the  early  mention  of  it  in 
history,  we  find  Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  the  Grand  Master 
of  the  Knights  Templar  in  the  time  of  Philip  the  Fair, 
of  France.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  instructed,  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  town,  in  the  rudi¬ 
mentary  branches  of  an  English  education.  Being  a 
healthy,  active,  and  ingenious  lad,  of  an  inquiring  mind, 
and  having  confidence  in  his  own  ability,  he  very  early 
turned  his  attention  from  farm  labor  to  farm  mechanism, 
and  engaged  in  the  construction  of  drags,  plow-beams, 
ox-yokes,  cart  and  wagon  bodies  and  axles,  and  exchanged 
his  work  as  a  mechanic  and  builder  for  the  farm  labor  of 
his  neighbors.  Pie  employed  his  time  in  this  way  until 
his  twentieth  year,  diversifying  his  occupation  by  r-un- 
ning  a  threshing-machine  in  the  fall,  burning  charcoal 
in  winter,  working  in  a  saw-mill  in  the  spring  and 
on  his  father’s  farm  in  summer,  until  1845,  when  he 
went  to  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  and  there  worked  in  a 
cotton-mill  for  nearly  a  year.  Deciding,  then,  to  go 
West,  Mr.  Godfrey  passed  through  the  cities  of  New 
York,  and  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  Pittsburg.  He 
there  entered  into  an  engagement  to  peddle  brass  clocks 
in  Ohio  and  Indiana.  In  1851  he  worked  on  the  Terre 
Haute  and  Alton  Railroad  as  a  contractor,  making  his 
home  at  the  former  place.  In  1852  he  took  a  contract 
on  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad;  and,  in 
October,  1856,  finished  the  road-bed  and  rails  of  his  sec¬ 
tion.  With  their  completion,  this  great  internal  improve¬ 
ment  of  seven  hundred  and  forty  miles  of  railroad  was 
finished.  In  December  following,  he  went  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  to  engage  in  the  construction  of  the 
Detroit  and  Milwaukee  Railroad,  which  his  party  com¬ 
pleted  from  Detroit  to  Grand  Rapids  in  July,  1858,  and 


to  Grand  Plaven  within  the  remaining  months  of  that 
year.  He  next  became  interested  in  the  construction 
of  the  Transit  Railroad,  from  Winona  to  Rochester, 
Minnesota;  but  that  State  repudiated  its  bonds,  and,  in 
view  of  the  panic  of  1857,  and  subsequent  financial  dis¬ 
turbances,  the  work  was  brought  to  a  premature  conclu¬ 
sion.  In  the  winter  of  1859-60,  Mr.  Godfrey  took  a 
contract  on  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana  Railroad, — 
a  land  grant  improvement, —  and  graded  a  portion  of  the 
line;  but,  the  company  being  out  of  money,  the  work 
stopped.  By  individual  effort, —  the  first  twenty  miles 
being  completed,  and  the  terms  of  the  Land  Grant  Act 
of  the  Legislature  thus  complied  with,  for  that  year, —  it 
was  necessary  to  build  twenty  miles  more  the  following 
year.  Railroad  bonds  could  not  be  sold;  the  war  had 
begun  between  the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  and 
wealthy  and  influential  men  combined  to  defeat  financial 
negotiations  of  the  company,  and  secure  legislative 
forfeiture,  under  the  conditions  of  the  law  authorizing 
the  construction  of  this  railroad.  But  these  machinations 
failed.  A  receiver  was  appointed,  and  in  almost  the  last 
days,  when  there  remained  but  eight  weeks  of  the  period 
within  which  forfeiture  could  not  take  place,  Mr.  Godfrey 
took  the  northern  ten  miles  of  the  twenty  required, 
through  an  unbroken  wilderness  of  heavy  timber,  and  in 
five  weeks  and  two  days,  accomplished  that  which  had 
been  pronounced  an  impossible  work, —  the  completion 
of  his  contract.  The  Continental  Improvement  Com¬ 
pany  was  then  organized,  and  completed  the  Grand 
Rapids  and  Indiana  Railroad  in  1874.  This  improve¬ 
ment  is  now  regarded  as  the  most  valuable  ever  accom¬ 
plished  for  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  as  it  opens  up,  as  a 
feeder  to  that  city,  the  whole  peninsula,  north  and  south, 
furnishing  a  market  for  its  trade  and  manufactures.  It 
is  also  a  valuable  feeder  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company.  Mr.  Godfrey  actively  interested  himself  also 
in  the  Grand  River  Valley  Railroad;  aiding  in  locating 
the  line,  settling  rights  of  way,  soliciting  stock  subscrip¬ 
tion,  voting  city  aid,  locating  and  purchasing  depot 
grounds  in  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  etc.  He  also 
originated,  and,  with  two  friends,  organized  the  Grand 
Rapids  and  Holland  Railroad  Company,  and  was 
elected  its  President.  He  located  the  line,  arranged  to 
obtain  the  money;  and  contracted  to  build  the  road  in 
four  months, —  furnishing  everything  except  rails,  spikes, 
frogs,  and  switches, —  to  ballast  and  fence  it,  and  pay 
engineering  and  right  of  way,  for  seven  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars  a  mile.  With  the  assistance  of  three 
friends,  he  did  all  this,  completing  it  within  the  time  of  his 
contract.  In  i860,  having  directed  his  attention  to  the 
plaster  business,  Mr.  Godfrey  purchased  some  land,  con¬ 
taining  plaster,  within  Grand  Rapids’  city  limits.  He 
opened  a  quarry;  built  a  water-mill  and  a  steam-mill, 
each  having  two  run  of  stones;  calcining  works,  with 
two  kettles  to  calcine  plaster,  having  a  capacity  of  forty 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


43 


barrels  each;  designed  the  plans  of  the  building  and 
machinery,  and  superintended  their  construction.  With 
his  brother,  under  the  firm  name  of  F.  Godfrey  & 
Brother,  he  manufactures  and  sells  large  quantities 
of  land  and  calcined  plaster,  the  productions  of  the 
firm  being  known  everywhere  in  the  West,  from  Ohio 
to  California.  To  increase  this  business,  F.  Godfrey 
&  Brother,  in  1865,  bought  one-third  of  the  old  plaster 
quarry  and  mills.  White  &  Rathbun  having  purchased 
the  remaining  two-thirds.  On  this  ground,  Mr.  Godfrey 
designed  and  superintended  the  construction  of  a  new 
water  and  steam-mill,  with  three  run  of  stones;  calcining 
works,  and  kettle  of  forty  barrels  capacity;  opened  a 
new  quarry,  and,  with  the  other  partners,  built  up  a 
large  trade,  now  owned  and  maintained  by  the  firm  of 
G.  H.  White  &  Co.  In  1875,  under  the  Michigan  cor¬ 
poration  laws,  a  stock  company  was  organized,  known 
as  the  Michigan  and  Ohio  Plaster  Company.  Mr.  F. 
Godfrey  was  made  President,  and  still  holds  that  posi¬ 
tion,  having  entire  management  of  the  business.  This 
Company  purchased  all  the  plaster  that  was  made  01  sold 
by  one  Ohio,  one  Iowa,  and  seven  INIichigan  rock,  land, 
and  calcined  plaster  firms,  and  sold  the  same  in  the  gen¬ 
eral  market.  His  constructive  ability  and  means  have 
not  been  wholly  engrossed  by  railroads  and  plaster 
works.  He  has  built,  in  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  three 
different  blocks  of  buildings,  w'hich  are  ornaments  to 
that  city,  and  manifest  his  judgment  and  skill  as  an 
architect.  Having  enough  regular  business  to  occupy 
his  time,  Mr.  Godfrey  has  refused,  decisively,  all  offers 
of  political  distinction  in  office.  In  politics,  he  has 
ever  been  independent,  following  the  lead  that  he 
believed  the  most  advantageous  for  the  general  in¬ 
terests  of  the  country, — a  Whig  with  the  Whigs,  a 
Free-Soiler  with  the  Free-Soilers,  a  War  Democrat, 
and  a  Peace  Democrat,  in  turn ;  at  present  he  takes 
pride  in  standing  in  the  front  rank  of  those  who,  in  his 
State  (and  they  are  many),  demand  free  United  States 
Government  money.  In  March,  1851,  he  married  Miss 
Abbie  E.  Eastman,  of  Vershire,  Vermont,  and  this  union 
has  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living.  One  of  the  best  evidences  of  a  noble 
man  is  his  honor  and  devotion  to  his  parents.  During 
the  life  of  Mr.  Godfrey’s  father, —  who  was  a  member  of 
the  family  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  April, 
1877,  when  he  was  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age, — 
nothing  was  left  unsupplied  to  him  that  would,  in  any 
particular,  contribute  to  his  comfort  and  happiness.  As 
indicated  in  this  sketch,  Mr.  Godfrey  is  of  a  quick  and 
active  disposition,  a  sanguine  temperament,  and  has 
great  force  of  character.  These  qualities,  together  with 
his  benignant  bearing,  command  the  respect  of  all  with 
whom  he  is  associated;  and,  as  one  of  the  truly  self-made 
men  of  Michigan,  he  takes  rank  among  the  first  of  those 
portrayed  in  these  pages. 


tDODALE,  GEORGE  S.,  Banker,  of  Muskegon, 
was  the  son  of  Dr.  Reuben  Goodale  and  Pauline 
(Adams)  Goodale,  and  was  born  in  Watertown, 
Jefferson  County,  New  York.  His  ancestry  came  from 
New  England,  his  mother  being  a  native  of  Berkshire, 
Massachussetts,  and  his  father,  of  New  Hampshire. 
They  were  married  early  in  life,  and  settled  in  Water- 
town,  New  York,  where  Dr.  Goodale  devoted  himself 
to  his  profession  for  over  sixty  years,  and  acquired  a 
wide  experienee  in  the  large  practice  which  was  the 
natural  growth  of  years  of  patient  labor.  George  Good¬ 
ale  received  an  ordinary  academic  education,  and  when 
eighteen  years  old,  entered  the  Jefferson  Bank,  in  which 
he  afterwards  became  teller.  When  the  Union  Bank, 
of  Watertown,  was  organized,  he  was  offered,  and 
accepted,  the  position  of  eashier.  His  ability  and  shrewd¬ 
ness  in  all  the  details  connected  with  the  banking 
business  gave  him  a  wide  reputation;  and,  in  1869,  he 
received  the  appointment  of  United  States  Bank  Exam¬ 
iner  for  Michigan.  In  1870  he  was  sent,  officially,  into 
the  Southern  States.  Pie  resigned  his  appointment  in 
1875,  elected  cashier  of  the  Muskegon  National 

Bank.  He  filled  this  position  one  year,  and  then  re¬ 
signed.  Mr.  Goodale  married  Elvira  P.  Smith,  second 
daughter  of  Major  Henry  Smith,  of  the  United  States 
Army.  Major  Smith  died  at  Vera  Cruz  during  the 
Mexican  War. 


'^^RINNELL,  HENRY,  Insurance  Agent  and  Real 
Estate  Owner,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in 
Howard,  Steuben  County,  New  York,  January 
14,  1818.  His  parents  were  William  and  Ruth  (Alex¬ 
ander)  Grinnell.  He  enjoyed  no  other  educational  ad¬ 
vantages  than  those  afforded  by  the  district  schools, 
with  one  term  in  the  high  school  at  Rochester,  New 
York.  He  was  to  be  trained  in  the  great  school  of  the 
world, — so  superior,  in  some  respects,  to  the  college; 
developing,  as  it  does,  self-relianee,  and  giving  free  scope 
to  the  exercise  of  individual  bent  of  mind  as  no  mere 
curriculum  can.  The  worthier  part  of  humanity  may  be 
divided  into  two  great  classes,  namely:  men  of  ideas, 
and  men  of  action ;  the  former  passing  their  lives  in  the 
quiet  of  the  cloister,  the  studio,  and  the  laboratory; 
while  the  latter  plunge  into  the  world’s  noise  and 
strife.  The  one  discovers  and  formulates  principles; 
the  other  so  applies  and  uses  them  as  to  provide  for  the 
countless  needs  of  life.  The  two  are  intimately  related, 
and  equally  important.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  be¬ 
longs  to  the  latter  class.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he 
became  a  grocer’s  clerk,  in  Rochester,  and  remained  in 
that  situation  five  years.  He  then  acted  as  clerk  for  a 
collector  of  canal  tolls  for  three  years;  and,  at  the  ex¬ 
piration  of  that  time,  became  book-keeper  for  a  large 


44 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


firm  in  Mt.  Morris,  New  York.  At  the  end  of  one  year 
he  returned  to  Rochester;  and,  after  writing  one  winter 
in  the  Sheriff’s  office,  in  that  city,  went,  the  following 
spring,  to  Monroe,  Michigan,  to  buy  wheat  for  an  em¬ 
ployer.  He  then  engaged  as  a  book-keeper  in  Buffalo, 
and  remained  two  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Brock- 
port  and  took  charge  of  the  office  of  collector  of  canal 
tolls  for  one  year.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he 
retraced  his  steps  to  Monroe,  Michigan,  and  was  em¬ 
ployed  there  two  years  as  book-keeper  in  a  forwarding 
and  commission  house.  He  then  engaged  in  the  same 
business  for  himself,  rebuilding  a  steamer  for  the  pur¬ 
pose,  and  during  the  six  years  in  which  he  was  so  occu¬ 
pied,  made  many  trips  on  it  in  order  to  better  supervise 
his  interests.  Finally,  however,  this  undertaking  proved 
a  failure.  Mr.  Grinnell  then  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  opened  a  commission  and  transportation  office; 
and  after  being  thus  employed  for  three  years,  he  went 
to  Grand  Rapids,  and  there  engaged  in  buying  wheat. 
Soon  afterwards,  in  the  spring  of  1854,  he  formed  a  co¬ 
partnership  with  David  Miller,  in  the  wholesale  and 
retail  grocery  business,  in  the  old  Temperance  Hall,  on 
Canal  street.  This  firm  was  dissolved  in  i860,  but  Mr. 
Grinnell  remained  in  the  business  until  1865,  when  he 
became  a  partner  of  Mr.  John  W.  Squier  in  a  flour-mill, 
and  continued  the  relation  until  1870.  At  this  time  he 
w'as  induced  to  invest  in  a  certain  unfortunate  patent- 
right.  This  was  a  patent  barrel  and  nail-keg;  and,  its 
superiority  was  so  eloquently  depicted,  that  a  number  of 
shrewd  New  York  capitalists  were  also  persuaded  to 
enlist  in  the  enterprise.  A  stock  company,  under  the 
name  of  Henry  Grinnell  &  Co.,  was  formed,  and  a  fac¬ 
tory  built  in  Wheeling,  West  Virginia.  A  fair  trial  of 
two  years  proved  it  a  humbug,  and  Mr.  Grinnell  lost 
thirty  thousand  dollars.  In  1872,  he  built,  in  Grand  Rap¬ 
ids,  what  is  known  as  the  Grinnell  Block,  and  has  since 
contented  himself  with  the  insurance  business  and  book¬ 
keeping.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party.  He 
was  married,  October  23,  1856,  to  Miss  Henrietta  Squier, 
second  daughter  of  John  W.  Squier,  deceased,  who  was 
a  worthy  pioneer  and  business  man  of  Grand  Rapids. 
They  have  had  three  sons,  two  of  whom  are  living. 
Most  of  his  life  Mr.  Grinnell  has  been  as  a  “ship  driven 
by  winds  and  tossed,”  but  he  is  now  anchored  in  what 
is  to  him  a  safe  harbor;  and  here,  blessed  with  plenty, 
and  surrounded  by  his  agreeable  family  and  a  wide  circle 
of  friends,  he  will  doubtless  pass  his  remaining  days. 
Mr.  Grinnell  enjoys  good  health.  He  has  a  commanding 
stature,  well-shaped  head  and  face,  with  features  that 
bear  in  their  genial  expression  a  trace  of  mirthfulness. 
In  experience,  native  ability  and  integrity,  he  ranks  high 
among  business  men,  and  is  generally  respected  by  his 
fellow-citizens.  But  the  best  comment  upon  his  character 
is  that  he  is  a  kind  and  affectionate  husband  and  father. 
[See  sketch  of  J.  W.  Squier.] 


«RIFFIN,  HON.  HENRY,  ex-Mayor  of  Grand 
Haven,  was  born  in  Niagara  County,  Canada,  in 
•  1807.  The  founder  of  the  family  in  America 
was  one  of  three  brothers,  who  emigrated  from  Wales 
more  than  two  hundred  years  ago.  One  of  his  descend¬ 
ants  is  now  living  at  Lodi,  Ohio,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  years.  Mr.  Griffin’s  father 
was  a  native  of  New  York;  his  mother,  of  New  Jersey: 
they  participated  in  the  stirring  scenes  of  the  Revo¬ 
lution.  He*  himself  has  witnessed  the  development  of 
his  country  from  a  small  commonwealth  to  a  power 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  He  received  his  ele¬ 
mentary  education  from  the  instruction  of  a  celebrated 
teacher,  who  kept  his  father’s  books.  In  1830,  he  mar¬ 
ried  a  daughter  of  Rev.  D.  W.  Eastman,  the  pioneer 
of  Presbyterianism  in  Upper  Canada.  Six  years  later, 
he  made  a  prospecting  tour  in  the  West;  and,  in  August, 
1837,  removed  to  Grand  Haven  with  his  family.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  the  drug  business  since  1849.  He  has 
held  the  offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  County  High 
Sheriff,  County  Clerk,  and  Mayor  of  the  city.  In  these 
positions  he  has  acquitted  himself  with  credit,  and  has 
always  used  his  influence  on  the  side  of  purity  and  rec¬ 
titude.  He  has  been  connected  with  the  society  of 
Odd-Fellows  twenty-six  years.  He  has  been  an  elder  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  forty  years,  and  has  always 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  Home  Missionary  work  of 
the  State.  He  has  been  foremost  in  schemes  for  public 
improvement;  and  has,  for  many  years,  been  an  earnest 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Democracy. 

- - .o« - 

^jiPUNDRUM,  GEORGE,  Pharmaceutical  Chemist,  of 
I  ll  TI  Ionia,  Michigan,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pirma- 
sens,  Bavaria,  Germany,  January  20,  1842.  His 
parents,  Peter  and  Catharine  (Faul)  Gundrum,  were  na¬ 
tives  of  the  same  place,  and  emigrated  to  this  country, 
from  Germany,  in  the  year  1854.  They  settled  in  the 
State  of  Indiana,  where  his  father  died  in  1862.  George 
attended  school  in  his  native  town,  and,  until  his 
father’s  death,  had  the  benefit  of  the  public  schools 
in  Indiana  in  the  winter  season ;  being  employed  in 
working  on  a  farm  in  summer.  Shortly  after  the  death 
of  his  father,  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store, 
first  at  South  Bend,  and  subsequently  at  Evansville,  In¬ 
diana,  employing  all  his  spare  time  in  the  study  of 
chemistry,  to  which  branch  of  science  he  was  much 
devoted.  With  no  other  assistance  than  that  derived 
from  text-books  on  the  subject,  he  became  very  profi¬ 
cient  in  that  study;  and,  in  the  year  1S70,  moved  to 
Ionia,  and  established  a  drug  store,  in  company  with  his 
brothers,  Godfrey  and  Frederick.  In  order  to  fully  ac¬ 
quaint  himself  with  the  details  of  his  business,  he  applied 
himself  assiduously  to  study,  and  attended  several  courses 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


45 


of  lectures  at  Ann  Arbor  University,  graduating  with 
high  honors  at  that  institution  in  1876.  During  his 
absence  at  Ann  Arbor,  his  brothers  had  charge  of  the 
business;  but,  after  his  graduation,  his  brother  Godfrey 
retired.  Very  recently  George  bought  out  Frederick, 
and  is  now  sole  proprietor.  His  store  is  handsomely 
fitted  up,  and  is  the  largest  in  the  county,  devoted  ex¬ 
clusively  to  the  drug  business.  Mr.  Gundrum  enjoys 
quite  a  reputation  as  a  botanist,  and  has  few  equals  in 
that  department  of  natural  science.  He  devotes  himself 
closely  to  his  business,  and  is  known  as  a  careful  and 
painstaking  man,  in  a  business  in  which  these  qualities 
are  of  paramount  importance.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Michigan  Pharmaceutical  Association.  In  his  political 
opinions,  he  agrees  with  the  Democratic  party;  he  is 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is 
pleasing  and  affable  in  his  manners,  and  is  a  man  of  ster¬ 
ling  integrity;  an  agreeable  companion,  and  is  widely 
known  and  universally  respected  in  the  community. 
Much  of  his  history  can  be  gleaned  from  that  of  his 
brother  Frederick,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere.  He 
married,  October  24,  1877,  Kate,  daughter  of  W.  Mc¬ 
Pherson,  Esq.,-  of  Ionia  County. 

- K>* - 

« RAVES,  REV.  SAMUEL,  D.D.,  Grand  Rapids, 
is  the  son  of  John  Graves,  who  was  a  leading 
politician  in  Ackworth,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Betsy  .(Cilley)  Graves,  whose  earnest,  Christian  faith  has 
left  its  impress  upon  the  character  of  the  son.  The  sub¬ 
ject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Ackworth,  New  Hamp¬ 
shire,  March  25,  1820.  He  received  his  early  education 
at  Lyndon  Academy,  Vermont.  In  1837  he  was  appren¬ 
ticed,  for  four  years,  to  the  firm  of  E.  &  T.  P’airbanks 
&  Co.,  scale  manufacturers,  at  St.  Johnsbury,  Vermont; 
but  his  intense  desire  for  a  liberal  education  induced 
him  to  close  his  apprenticeship  at  the  end  of  two  years, 
and  enter  Madison  University,  in  Plamilton,  New  York. 
He  remained  here  until  1846,  when  he  graduated  from  the 
Theological  Seminary.  P’or  three  years  before  his  gradr 
nation,  he  was  instructor  in  Greek,  and  remained  at  his 
Alma  Mater,  as  tutor  in  mathematics,  for  two  years  after- 
completing  his  theological  studies.  In  1848  Dr.  Graves 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan,  remaining  three  years ;  during  which  time  the 
church  membership  increased  from  sixty-two  to  two 
hundred  and  si.xteen.  Yielding  to  earnest  solicitation, 
he  resigned  his  pastoral  charge  to  become  Professor  of 
Greek  and  Systematic  Theology,  in  Kalamazoo  College. 
He  continued  in  this  position  for  eight  years,  develop¬ 
ing  the  minds  and  influencing  the  destinies  of  many 
young  men.  Receiving  a  call  to  the  Central  Baptist 
Church,  of  Norwich,  Connecticut,  he  accepted,  and 
remained  there  ten  years.  During  this  period,  the 


church  membership  had  a  gain  of  over  two  hundred  ; 
the  house  of  worship  was  enlarged;  and  the  individual 
members  grew  in  faith,  brotherly  love,  and  unity.  On  tlie 
1st  of  January,  1870,  he  became  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  which  numbered 
about  two  hundred  and  sixty  members.  Under  his  min¬ 
istrations,  the  number  has  increased  to  more  than  five 
hundred;  and  a  large  and  elegant  church  edifice  has  been 
erected  at  a  cost  of  eighty  thousand  dollars,  sixty 
thousand  of  which  have  been  raised.  During  the  year 
1872,  Dr.  Graves  spent  seven  months  in  Europe;  and, 
before  his  return,  he  visited  the  Holy  Land.  He  was 
married,  September  23d,  1846,  to  Mary  W.,  daughter  of 
James  L.  Baldwin,  of  Paterson,  New  Jersey.  As  a 
minister.  Dr.  Graves  holds  a  prominent  place  in  the 
Baptist  denomination  in  Michigan.  His  sermons  are 
distinguished  for  simplicity,  clearness,  and  directness ; 
his  manner  in  the  pulpit  is  unostentatious,  and  deeply 
earnest.  He  is  a  man  of  catholic  spirit,  interesting 
himself  in  whatever  concerns  the  moral  and  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 

- - 

*^|]i\ACKLEY,  CHARLES  H.,  Lumberman,  of  Mus- 
^  kegon,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Michigan  City, 
V'  Indiana,  January  3,  1837.  During  his  early  boy- 
hood,  his  family  removed  to  Southport,  now 
Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  There  he  received  his  early  train¬ 
ing,  both  literary  and  commercial.  His  attendance  at 
school  ceased  at  fifteen,  and  the  intervening  time,  until 
1856,  was  devoted  to  hard  labor  on  railroads  and  public 
works.  In  the  spring  of  1856,  he  worked  his  passage  on 
the  schooner  “Challenge,”  to  Muskegon,'  where  he 
landed  with  only  seven  dollars  in  his  pocket.  He  imme¬ 
diately  sought  work,  and  engaged  with  the  firm  of 
Durkee,  Truesdell  &  Co.,  lumber  manufacturers,  to  act 
as  fireman,  or  in  any  other  capacity  about  the  mill  in 
which  he  could  make  himself  useful.  He  renrained  with 
the  firm  until  its  dissolution,  in  1857.  Mr.  Hackley’s 
energy,  perseverance  and  general  business  ability,  won 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  employers,  and  they  sent 
him  to  Kenosha,  Wisconsin,  to  finish  his  business  educa¬ 
tion  at  a  commercial  college.  On  his  return  to  Muskegon, 
he  took  charge  of  the  books  of  Gideon  Truesdell,  Esq., 
successor  to  Durkee,  Truesdell  &  Co.;  and,  in  the  spring 
of  1859,  having  accumulated  the  sum  of  five  hundred 
dollars,  he,  in  connection  with  his'  father  and  Gideon 
Truesdell,  purchased  the  saw-mill  property  of  Holmes, 
Pomeroy  &  Co.,  and  set  uji  the  firm  of  1.  H.  llackley  & 
Co.,  he  keeping  the  books  for  both  establishments. 
This  new  enterprise  proving  successful,  they  were  en¬ 
abled,  in  the  fall  of  i860,  to  buy  another  mill,  owned  by 
Thomas  Wing.  Mr.  llackley  kept  the  books  for  the 
three  firms  until  1866,  when,  through  the  results  of  his 


46 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


untiring  industry,  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  the  whole 
interest  of  Gideon  Truesdell  in  the  firm  of  I.  H.  Hack- 
ley  &  Co.  At  the  same  time  he  formed  a  new  partner¬ 
ship  with  James  McGordon,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Hackley  &  McGordon.  The  firm  of  I.  H.  Hackley  & 
Co.  was  changed  to  Hackley  &  Sons,  and  continued  to 
operate  until  1873,  when  the  mill  and  fixtures  were  sold 
and  removed.  A  new  mill,  costing  eighty-five  thousand 
dollars,  was  erected  on  the  same  site,  which  is  now  one 
of  the  best  lumber  establishments  in  the  State  of  Mich¬ 
igan.  In  the  fall  of  1875,  the  mill  of  Hackley  &  McGoi'- 
don  was  burned,  with  a  loss  of  sixty-five  thousand  dol¬ 
lars,  and  was  not  rebuilt.  The  insurance  on  it  covered 
thirty-five  thousand  dollars  of  the  loss.  I.  H.  Hackley 
died  in  1874,  and  the  firm  has  assumed  the  name  of  C.  H. 
Hackley  &  Co.,  with  James  McGordon  as  partner.  C. 
H.  Hackley  &  Co.  handle  an  immense  quantity  of  logs 
and  lumber,  amounting  annually  to  about  thirty  million 
feet.  They  own  large  tracts  of  pine  lands,  vessels,  tug¬ 
boats,  etc.,  all  in  connection  with  their  lumber  business. 
Mr.  Hackley  has  filled  several  important  offices.  He 
was  City  and  County  Treasurer,  and  Alderman  of  the 
Fourth  Ward.  He  is,  at  the  present  time.  Supervisor 
of  the  Fourth  Ward;  Director  and  Vice-President  of  the 
Muskegon  National  Bank;  Director  of  the  Lumbermen’s 
National  Bank;  Director  and  Treasurer  of  the  Muskegon 
Booming  Company;  and  Director  of  the  Board  of  Edu¬ 
cation.  He  is  also  an  earnest  worker  in  the  cause  of 
temperance  reform,  inaugurated  in  Muskegon  by  Dr.  H. 
A.  Reynolds,  and  is  one  of  the  foremost  in  aiding  the 
erection  of  a  fine  brick  building  to  be  used  for  that  pur¬ 
pose.  Mr.  Hackley  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Moore, 
of  Centerville,  New  York,  October  3,  1864.  He  is  still 
in  the  prime  of  life,  with  a  record  in  the  past  that  guar¬ 
antees  to  him  a  future  career  honorable  to  himself  and 
beneficial  to  the  community.  He  has  not  spent  all  his 
energies  in  the  accumulation  of  wealth  or  for  his  own 
personal  aggrandizement.  He  possesses  a  warm  heart, 
endowed  with  ready  sympathy  for  the  necessities  of 
others,  and  has  ever  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting 
local  and  other  improvements. 


■SAIRE,  HON.  ROBERT  A.,  of  Spring  Lake, 
II  Ottawa  County,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Bombay, 

removed,  with  his  parents,  to  Western  New 
York  in  1841,  and  settled  near  the  city  of  Rochester. 
From  there  the  family  emigrated  to  Michigan,  and,  in 
1846,  they  established  themselves  near  Grand  Rapids. 
Mr.  Haire  received  a  common  school  education,  and  took 
a  course  in  the  Grand  Rapids  Commercial  College.  In 
1852  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Ottawa  County.  In  August,  1862,  he  enlisted 


in  the  5th  Michigan  Cavalry.  He  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg,  and  in  nearly  all  the  subsequent  battles 
in  which  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  engaged.  In 
March,  1864,  he  was  one  of  the  five  hundred  men 
chosen  by  General  Kilpatrick,  and  placed  under  Colonel 
Dahlgren,  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  city  of  Rich¬ 
mond,  and  liberating  the  Union  prisoners.  Pie  was 
promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  for  gallantry  in  the  battles 
of  this  expedition.  He  accompanied  General  Sheridan 
during  the  Shenandoah  campaign;  and,  for  meritorious 
services,  was  raised,  in  December,  1864,  to  the  rank  of 
Captain.  During  a  portion  of  the  winter  of  1864-5, 
had  command  of  his  regiment,  and  was  complimented 
by  General  Sheridan  for  his  able  management  during 
one  of  the  engagements.  After  his  return  home,  he  set¬ 
tled  in  Spring  Lake,  Ottawa  County,  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  In  the  sessions  of  1872-3, 
he.  served  in  the  Lower  House  of  the  State  Legislature. 
In  1877  he  was  chosen  President  of  the  village. 

- - K>« - 

»\LDANE,  WILLIAM,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was 
born  in  Delhi,  Delaware  County,  New  York, 
May  5,  1807,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  a  family 
w  of  four  children.  His  parents,  James  and  Eliza¬ 
beth  (Preston)  Haldane,  were  natives  of  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  and  came  to  America  about  the  close  of  the 
Revolution.  When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  died,  and  he  was  hired  out  to  do  chores  for  farm¬ 
ers.  In  this  he  was  engaged  until  he  was  fourteen  years 
old,  being  allowed  to  attend  school  a  part  of  the  time. 
He  obtained  his  education,  however,  principally  through 
his  own  exertions,  studying  many  nights  by  the  dim 
light  of  the  fire,  to  which  was  sometimes  added  a  burn¬ 
ing  i:)ine  knot.  When  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  he 
apprenticed  himself  to  a  carpenter  and  joiner  in  Nunda 
Valley.  For  his  service  he  was  to  receive  his  board 
and  clothing,  and  be  allowed  to  attend  school  two 
months  during  each  winter  term.  His  time  and  atten¬ 
tion  were  thus  engaged  until  he  was  twenty  years  old, 
when  he  became  a  journeyman.  After  one  year  and  a 
half  he  began  taking  contracts,  employing  his  two 
youngest  brothers  as  apprentices.  After  carrying  on 
this  business  about  five  years,  he  abandoned  it  to  un¬ 
dertake  the  manufacture  of  furniture,  and  built  a  shop 
for  that  purpose,  in  which  he  remained  three  years.  In 
1837  he  moved  to  Grand  River  Rapids,  afterwards 
named  Grand  Rapids.  In  1838  he  went  to  Ohio,  and 
there,  for  three  years,  made  machinery  for  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  chairs.  He  then  returned  to  Michigan,  taking 
with  him  the  first  machinery  of  the  kind  ever  taken 
into  the  State.  Here  he  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  furniture,  and  also  carried  on  the  undertaking  busi¬ 
ness  until  1871.  From  an  early  day  he  has  been  iden- 


- 


* 


N  * 


5  -  ** 


.1 

V 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


47 


tified  with  the  material  development  of  the  city,  having 
built  the  first  good  brick  house,  of  brick  which  he 
he  brought  from  Milwaukee.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church  for  fifty  years.  In  poli¬ 
tics,  he  belonged  to  the  Eree-Soil  party  until  1854,  when 
the  Republican  party  was  organized,  and  he  became  a 
member  of  it.  He  has  since  voted  the  Republican 
ticket.  Mr.  Plaldane  was  married,  August  17,  1831,  to 
Miss  Sarah  Tomlinson.  He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  gen¬ 
tleman.  By  persevering  industry,  good  management, 
and  strict  integrity,  he  has  carried  his  way  to  success, 
and  has  won  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

- »<>< - 


L\LL,  HON.  FREDERICK,  of  Ionia,  Michigan, 
was  born  in  Shelburn,  Chittenden  County,  Yer- 
^#mont,  March  24,  1816.  His  father,  Burgess 
Hall,  was  an  Associate  Judge,  and  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  of  Vermont.  Mr.  Hall  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  town.  He  was  well 
drilled  in  all  the  elementary  branches,  but  liked  hunting 
.and  fishing  better  than  study.  In  1835  ^e  went  to 
Galena,  Illinois.  While  there  his  funds  failed,  and 
he  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  spent  the  winter  of  1835-6 
in  chopping  cord-wood.  He  was  variously  occupied,  at 
different  places,  until  the  fall  and  winter  of  1836-37, 
when  he  was  engaged  in  looking  up  Government  lands. 
In  the  fall  of  the  latter  year,  he  was  appointed  Deputy 
Register  at  Lyons,  Michigan.  In  the  spring  of  1842,  he 
became  associated  with  John  Ball,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and 
assisted  him  in  selecting  five  hundred  thousand  acres  of 
land,  granted  by  the  United  States  to  Michigan  for  inter¬ 
nal  improvements.  In  July,  1842,  he  engaged  with  Daniel 
Ball,  as  clerk  in  a  general  mercantile  business.  The 
following  February  he  was  appointed  Deputy  Register, 
and  was  also  made  clerk  for  the  receiving  of  public 
money.  In  1844  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds,  and, 
in  1845,  appointed  Receiver  of  Public  Money, 

which  position  he  held  until  1849.  From  that  time 
until  1S53,  he  was  engaged  extensively  in  land  specula¬ 
tions.  In  1853  he  was  again  appointed  Receiver  of 
Public  Money,  by  President  Pierce.  In  1840  he  was 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Lyons  Township,  Ionia  County. 
In  1849  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature.  He  'was 
nominated  for  Congress,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  in 
1864.  In  1873  he  was  the  first  Mayor  of  Ionia,  and,  the 
following  year,  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
Lieutenant-Governor.  In  1876  he  was  one  of  the  State 
Electors.  He  was  a  Dii-ector  of  the  Ionia, and  Lansing 
Railroad  until  its  consolidation  with  the  Detroit,  Lans¬ 
ing  and  Lake  Michigan  Railroad;  and  was  President  of 
the  First  National  Bank  for  a  number  of  years  from  its 
organization.  Mr.  Hall  has  been  actively  engaged  as 
general  land  operator  for  many  years.  He  is  the 


wealthiest  man  in  Ionia  County,  and  one  of  its  most 
generous  and  public-spirited  citizens.  His  political  views 
and  sentiments  harmonize  with  those  of  the  Democratic 
party.  He  took  a  prominent  part  in  getting  up  a  regi¬ 
ment  during  the  late  Rebellion.  Mr.  Hall  became  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  in  December,  1849, 
and  was  exalted  to  Ionia  Chapter,  No.  14,  in  1852.  lie 
is  also  a  member  of  Ionia  Commandery.  No.  ii,  Knights 
Templar.  He  belongs  to  the  Council  of  Royal  and 
Select  Masters,  and  was  knighted  at  Detroit  Com¬ 
mandery,  No.  I,  in  1853.  He  became  an  Odd-Fellow 
in  1875.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  High  Priest  in 
Chapter  No.  14;  Commander  of  Ionia  Commandery; 
and  Chief  Patriarch  of  Ionia  Encampment.  Mr.  Hall 
has  always  been  intimately  identified  with  the  educa¬ 
tional  and  public  interests  of  Ionia.  He  is  a  liberal 
supporter  of  churches  and  schools,  and  contributes  to  the 
building  of  railroads.  His  rare  business  qualifications 
have  gained  for  him  universal  respect,  and  his  unvary¬ 
ing  courtesy  and  hearty  sociability  win  the  love  of  those 
fortunate  enough  to  be  thrown  into  intimate  relations 
with  him.  In  person,  he  is  tall,  of  graceful  bearing,  and 
prepossessing  appearance.  His  residence,  on  Main 
street,  Ionia, — -one  of  the  most  elegant  in  Western 
Michigan, —  is  built  entirely  of  the  variegated  sandstone 
obtained  from  the  Ionia  quarries.  Mr.  Plall  was  mar¬ 
ried,  January  8,  1848,  to  Ann  Eager.  They  have  one 
child — a  daughter. 


- - 

*^f^ALL,  STEPHEN  C.,  Muskegon,  was  born  in 
^||  Yates  County,  New  York,  August  16,  1834.  He 
was  educated  at  Penn  Van,  and  graduated  from 
w  the  full  mathematical  course,  intending  to  be¬ 
come  a  civil  engineer.  When  nineteen  years  of  age  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  a  store;  and,  when  twenty-one,  he 
removed  to  the  western  settlement  on  White  River,  in 
West  Michigan,  where  he  wmrked  at  any  thing  he  found 
to  do.  During  this  period  of  his  life,  Mr.  Hall,  by  his 
knowledge  of  land  surveying,  acquired  in  practice  with 
surveyors  there  employed,  became  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  best  land  in  the  State.  In  1864  he  was  em¬ 
ployed  in  the  final  survey  of  the  present  city  of  Mus¬ 
kegon,  in  which  he  has  made  his  permanent  home. 
In  the  prosecution  of  his  business  at  that  time,  he  ob¬ 
served,  in  the  townships  of  Eggleston  and  Moreland, 
about  twelve  miles  east  of  Muskegon,  a  tract  of  marsh 
land  of  which  about  three  thousand  acres  were  covered 
with  water,  from  early  spring  to  midsummer,  to  the 
depth  of  from  three  to  four  feet.  When  the  Govern¬ 
ment  survey  was  made,  the  section  lines  were  not  run 
through  this  land,  the  surveyors  entering  it  on  their 
note-book  as  “an  impassible  marsh.”  Mr.  Hall,  believ¬ 
ing  that  this  land  could  be  drained  for  a  very  small 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


4S 

consideration,  obtained  a  title  to  it.  By  the  outlay  of 
some  capital  and  much  energy  and  perseverance,  he  has 
succeeded  in  transforming  this  marshy  arm  of  the  idver 
into  a  beautiful  and  fertile  farm,  upon  which  he  has 
grown  many  tons  of  hay;  also,  wheat  and  the  other 
cereals  common  to  the  country,  the  soil  being  richer  than 
that  of  the  higher  lands  adjoining.  There  is  no  such 
farm  in  the  State,  as  it  contains  more  than  two  thousand 
acres.  The  pine  lands  of  Michigan  were  early  noticed 
by  Mr.  Hall  as  a  profitable  investment;  and,  by  careful 
management,  he  obtained  a  title  for  about  fifteen  thou¬ 
sand  acres,  which  were  principally  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Houghton  Lake.  Here,  in  the  winter  season,  by  the 
employment  of  about  three  hundred  men  and  one  hun¬ 
dred  horses,  he  gets  out  for  market  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
million  feet  of  logs,  which  are  sold  to  the  different  lum¬ 
ber  manufacturers  of  Muskegon  and  elsewhere.  As  a 
man  of  great  business  energy,  thoughtful  and  far-sighted, 
Mr.  Hall  has  won  wealth  and  high  reputation;  while,  as 
a  gentleman  of  fine  social  qualities,  he  is  regarded  with 
much  favor.  As  a  public  officer,  he  has  served  three 
terms  as  Supervisor,  and  two  as  County  Treasurer,  giv¬ 
ing  general  satisfaction  to  the  people  of  both  political 
parties.  In  April,  1863,  Mr.  Hall  married  Miss  Alice 
A.  Clark,  of  Grand  Haven,  Michigan. 


'ARRTSON,  WILLIAM,  Grand  Rapids,  a  native 
|[  of  Sibsey,  Lincolnshire,  England,  was  born  on 
the  loth  of  January,  1824.  He  attended  the 
National  School,  at  Sibsey,  and  also  a  select 
school,  at  March,  Cambridgeshire.  In  October,  1838, 
he  went  to  Stickney,  to  learn  the  wheelwright  and 
joiner  trade.  The  following  January  he  was  bound 
out  for  six  years,  as  an  apprentice  to  that  business. 
After  serving  his  time,  he  worked  four  years  longer  for 
the  same  employer;  and,  for  months  together,  he  worked 
at' whip-sawing,  preparing  wheelwright  stock,  his  wages 
being  twenty-two  cents  per  day.  Out  of  this  amount 
he  was  expected  to  pay  all  his  expenses,  except  board. 
His  working  hours  were  from  six  in  the  morning  until 
eight  at  night,  half  an  hour  being  allowed  for  break¬ 
fast  and  an  hour  for  dinner.  Mr.  Harrison  worked 
as  journeyman  for  four  years,  and,  during  this  time, 
saved  about  twenty  pounds,  which  he  lent  to  two  of  his 
friends,  at  five  per  cent,  interest.  '  This  was  his  first 
investment,  and  it  proved  to  be  a  very  unfortunate  one, 
as  the  parties  failed,  and  he  lost  both  interest  and  princi¬ 
pal.  During  the  winter  of  1849,  he  again  attended 
school.  In  the  spring  of  1850,  he  left  ^England  for 
America,  landing  in  New  York  on  the  21st  day  of  May; 
and,  after  .spending  a  few  days  there,  he  started  for 
Michigan.  When  he  reached  Kalamazoo,  he  had  only 
a  half-sovereign  and  a  few  shillings.  In  a  few  days,  he 


commenced  work  at  his  trade,  receiving  nearly  Pwo 
dollars  per  day ;  but,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  pennies 
to  pay  postage,  he  had  to  take  his  wages  in  barter.  As 
an  instance,  Mr.  Harrison  accepted  a  note  against  an 
inn-keeper,  which  he  exchanged  for  a  horse ;  the  horse 
he  exchanged  for  a  village  lot.  In  about  a  year,  with  a 
good  stock  of  barter,  and  one  dollar  in  money,  he  began 
working  at  his  trade  in  Galesburg,  Michigan,  remaining 
there  seven  months.  During  this  time,  he  earned  enough 
to  equal  in  value  two  wagons  and  a  set  of  buggy  wheels, 
and  exchanged  the  wagons  for  land  in  Kalamazoo. 
He  then  returned  to  Kalamazoo,  taking  a  contract  to 
make  fifty  sets  of  wagon  wheels,  for  which  he  was  to 
be  paid  in  cash ;  but,  after  the  work  was  partly  done, 
the  other  party  refused  to  carry  out  his  share  of  the 
contract.  In  1852  he  removed  to  Schoolcraft,  where 
he  commenced  business  for  himself,  remaining  about  one 
year.  He  then  returned  to  Kalamazoo,  bought  a  shop, 
and  engaged  in  a  business  wdiich  he  carried  on  for  seven 
years.  During  this  time  he  invested  some  money  in 
real  estate,  which  proved  a  very  fortunate  investment. 
In  1857  Mr.  Harrison  came  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons.  He  has  now  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  invested  in  his  business,  and, 
for,  several  years,  his  sales  have  averaged  over  one  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  dollars  a  year.  His  wagons  are  sent  into 
nearly  all  the  States  of  the  Union.  In  October,  1852, 
Mr.  Harrison  married  Miss  Rebecca  McCullough,  who 
died  May  5,  1869.  On  the  i6th  of  February,  1870,  he 
was  married  to  Frances  Adelaide,  daughter  of  Samuel 
H.  Gilbert,  originally  of  Canterbury,  England.  From 
these  unions,  there  have  been  born  to  him  six  children. 
Mr.  Harrison  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Metho¬ 
dist  Church  for  thirty-two  years,  and  votes  with  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  man  of  integrity  and  indus¬ 
try,  and  is  persistent  in  carrying  out  whatever  he  under¬ 
takes.  He  is  entirely  self-made,  and  is  highly  respected 
by  all  who  know  him. 

- .0. - 


jARTER,  HARVEY,  of  Ionia,  was  born  at  Her- 
,  kimer,  Herkimer  County,  New  York,  November 
14,  1824,  and  was  the  seventh  of  a  family  of 
thirteen  children.  His  parents  were  Michael  and 
Abigail  Harter.  The  family  were  old  settlers  in  the  Mo¬ 
hawk  Valley  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution.  His  father 
died  in  1869.  His  mother  is  still  living  at  Mohawk,  at 
the  ripe  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  surrounded  by  a  lov¬ 
ing  family.  Harvey  lived  on  the  old  homestead,  and 
attended  school  at  Herkimer  until  the  age  of  sixteen, 
acquiring  such  an  education  as  the  place  afforded.  On 
leaving  school,  he  at  once  entered  upon  business  life  as 
clerk  in  a  store  at  Little  Falls,  where  he  remained  three 
years,  until  a  position  was  offered  on  a  packet  which  plied 
on  the  canal  between  Schenectady,  Utica,  and  Rochester. 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


49 


For  two  years  he  was  steward  of  the  packet,  after 
which  he  held  command  as  Captain  for  five  years;  in  the 
winter  season  obtaining  employment  as  clerk  and  tele¬ 
graph  operator.  But  confinement  became  irksome  to 
him;  and,  being  in  correspondence  with  his  brother, 
Benjamin,  who  had,  for  some  time,  been  settled  in 
Michigan,  and  had  already  made  some  purchases  of 
land  for  Harvey  with  money  which  the  latter  forwarded 
to  him,  he  was  persuaded  at  length  to  join  his  brother 
in  the  West,  and  arrived  at  Ionia  in  the  fall  of  1849. 
The  city  was  then  in  its  infancy,  but  Mr.  Harter,  with 
characteristic  sagacity,  saw  that  it  was  a  location  w'hich 
promised  well  for  future  prosperity,  and  laid  his  plans 
accordingly.  In  concert  with  his  brother,  he  opened  a 
store,  on  Main  street,  where  he  conducted  a  successful 
business  for  seven  years;  at  the  same  time  having  built 
an  ashery,  he  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  saleratus 
and  potash,  for  which  Chicago  afforded  -a  very  ready 
market.  His  gains  were  invested  principally  in  the 
purchase  of  farm  lands,  of  which  he  bought  about  six 
hundred  acres.  After  giving  up  the  dry  goods  busi¬ 
ness,  he  devoted  a  great  deal  of  time  to  the  supervision 
of  all  the  details  of  his  farming  operations.  Mr.  Plarter 
was  pre-eminently  fitted  to  shine  in  business  life.  Pub¬ 
lic  office  had  no  charms  for  him,  as  he  claimed  that  his 
business  was  such  as  to  demand  all  his  attention.  He  has 
speculated  considerably  in  land,  and  in  all  his  transac¬ 
tions,  evinced  remarkable  shrewdness  at  a  bargain,  com¬ 
bined  with  the  highest  business  integrity.  He  has  been 
actively  connected  with  the  First  National  Bank  of  the 
city  of  Ionia,  since  its  organization,  having  been  a  stock¬ 
holder  and  its  assistant  cashier  for  twelve  years;  when 
the  decline  of  his  health,  from  too  close  application  to 
business,  warned  him  that  he  must  take  some  relaxation, 
in  order  to  secure  its  recovery.  He  spent  two  or  three 
years  in  traveling  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  and 
now,  although  not  as  robust  and  active  as  formerly, 
enjoys  good  health.  While  not  devoting  himself  to 
active  business  life,  he  makes  his  influence  felt  in  the 
community,  and  enjoys  the  solid  comforts  which  he  has 
well  earned  by  the  energy  and  determination  with  which 
he  has  conducted  all  his  business  ventures.  Although 
he  has  held  few  offices  of  public  trust  and  responsibility, 
yet  wherever  he  has  served  in  an  official  capacity  he  has 
discharged  his  duties  with  intelligence  and  fidelity.  Pie 
married,  October  29,  1850,  Elizabeth  M.  Babcock,  of 
Ionia,  whose  father  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the 
county.  She  is  a  lady  of  remarkable  intelligence,  and 
is  highly  esteemed  in  the  community.  They  have  a 
family  of  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Mr.  Harter  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  contributes  freely  to  its  support.  He  is  agreeable 
and  courteous  in  his  manner,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
as  a  man  and  a  citizen.  Plis  residence  is  one  of  the 

finest  in  Ionia  County. 

(12 


HAMILTON,  CARLTON  J.,  of  Muskegon,  Mich- 
I  igan,  was  born  January  6,  1835,  Bridgeport, 
V  Addison  County,  Vermont.  He  was  one  of  the 
ten  children  of  Amos  and  Mary  Ann  Plamilton. 
He  received  a  good  business  education  in  the  common 
schools;  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  went  to  Chi¬ 
cago,  and  worked  at  the  lumber  business  for  four  years. 
He  then  removed  to  Muskegon,  Michigan,  where  he 
manufactures  lumber  extensively,  and  is  the  leading 
man  in  the  firm  of  C.  J.  Hamilton  &  Co.  In  1872  he 
was  elected  School  Trustee,  and  has  retained  the  office 
for  several  years.  In  I877  he  was  elected  Alderman  of 
the  city.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fra¬ 
ternity  fourteen  years,  and  was  twice  elected  Master  of 
the  brotherhood  in  Muskegon.  He  is  a  man  of  strictly 
moral  habits,  and  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views.  He 
was  educated  a  Republican  in  politics.  As  a  business 
man,  he  has  natural  ability,  combined  with  practical 
experience.  He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  has* 
assisted  in  all  enterprises  favorable  to  the  growth  of  the 
place.  He  was  married  to  Eliza  A.  Rohser,  of  Chicago, 
in  August,  1861.  She  died  in  April,  1870.  He  was 
married  again  to  Ella  E.  Moulton,  of  Muskegon,  in 
June,  1872. 


^AYES,  HON.  NATHAN  BRADLEY,  Farmer 
and  Lumber  Manufacturer,  of  Muir,  Ionia 
County,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Bristol,  Ontario 
County,  New  York,  December  13,  1835.  His 
father.  Heeler  Playes,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ionia 
County,  Michigan,  removing  there  with  his  family  in 
1836.  At  that  time  the  country  was  a  wilderness;  the 
settlements  were  very  far  apart,  and  the  Indians  were 
unfriendly.  Mr.  Hayes’  family,  for  a  long  time,  were 
obliged  to  grind  wheat  in  a  coffee-mill,  because  the 
nearest  grist-mill  was  at  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  The 
year  of  their  arrival,  a  neighboring  family  was  murdered 
by  the  Indians.  The  natural  advantages  of  the  county 
were  so  great  that  it  soon  became  more  thickly  settled, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  wealthiest  in  the  State.  Mr. 
Nathan  Hayes  attended  the  district  schools;  and,  for 
two  years,  was  a  pupil  at  Olivet  College.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one,  he  left  college,  and  spent  five  years  in 
teaching,  employing  the  summer  months  in  farm  work. 
He  then  decided  to  devote  his  time  to  farming,  and 
also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  As  his  means 
permitted,  he  added  to  his  farm  lands,  until,  in  iSyj, 
his  original  farm  of  forty  acres  had  increased  to  fifteen 
hundred, —  the  largest  farm  in  the  county.  His  sales 
of  lumber  are  from  seven  to  ten  million  feet  each 
year.  For  many  years  Mr.  Hayes  has  been  one  of  the 
Directors  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Muir,  he  was 
President  for  two  years  after  its  organization,  and  held 


50 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


the  office  of  Vice-President  until  January,  1877.  He  is 
Director  and  President  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Fire  In¬ 
surance  Society  of  Muir.  In  1876  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  State  Legislature  from  Ionia  County; 
this  is  the  only  political  office  he  has  .ever  held.  He  is 
liberal  in  his  religious  views,  and  has  never  united  with 
any  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Septem¬ 
ber  I,  1864,  he  married  Mary  A.  Olmstead,  daughter  of 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Ionia  County.  They  have 
four  sons.  Mr.  Hayes’  success  in  life  is  due  to  his  own 
efforts,  and  is  the  result  of  labor  and  thrift. 


'%j.4'EALD,  JOSEPH,  Lumber  Merchant  and  Manu- 
-I',  facturer,  Montague,  Muskegon  County,  was  born 
at  Norridgewock,  Somerset  County,  Maine, 
March  28,  1823,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Sabra  (Woodbury)  Heald.  His  father,  from  about  1818 
to  1831,  was  a  prominent  lumberman  on  the  Kennebec 
River,  owning  a  saw-mill  at  Skowhegan  and  a  farm  at 
Norridgewock.  His  early  education  was  confined  to  the 
common  English  branches  taught  in  the  district  schools 
of  Norridgewock  and  Eddington.  He  was  obliged  to 
do  what  he  could  toward  the  support  of  the  family,  and 
was  employed  in  rafting  and  running  lumber  on  the 
Penobscot  River  in  summer,  working  in  the  woods  in 
winter,  and  driving  logs  in  the  spring.  When  he  was 
eleven  years  old,  the  family  removed  to  Eddington, 
where  he  afterwards  became  its  main  support.  Between 
the  ages  of  fourteen  and  twenty- three,  he  worked,  as  a 
laborer,  at  logging  and  lumbering.  At  the  latter  age, 
he  began  work  for  himself  in  logging  and  manufactur¬ 
ing  lumber  on  the  Penobscot  River.  His  saw-mills 
were  at  Old  Town,  and  he  found  a  market  for  his  lum¬ 
ber  at  Bangor.  He  continued  in  this  business,  meeting 
with  fair  success,  until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age,  when 
he  removed  to  Michigan,  for  the  purpose  of  conducting 
the  same  business  in  a  State  in  which  it  could  be  done 
to  much  better  advantage  and  with  greater  prospects 
of  pecuniary  profit.  Settling  at  Port  Huron,  he  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business,  in  a  small  way,  for  two  years. 
In  1855  he  was  employed  as  agent  for  Messrs.  A.  A. 
Dwight  and  William  Warner,  of  Detroit,  to  superintend 
their  lumber  business,  and  remained  in  their  employ 
until  the  fall  of  i860.  In  the  spring  of  1857,  in  com¬ 
pany  with  Messrs.  Howell  Avery,  lately  deceased,  and 
Linmore  J.  Murphy,  of  Detroit,  he  explored  White 
River  and  its  surroundings,  traveling  from  White  Lake 
to  the  head-waters  of  the  river  in  a  canoe,— -the  first 
expedition  of  the  kind  evej'  undertaken.  In  October, 
i860,  Mr.  Heald  formed  a  partnership  with  Messrs. 
Avery  and  Murphy.  I'he  firm  purchased  about  twelve 
thousand  acres  of  the  pine  land  on  W’hite  River,  which 
they  had  examined  in  1857,  together  with  a  saw-mill  at 


Montague,  where  Mr.  Heald  now  resides.  The  first 
year  they  cut  four  million  feet  of  logs, —  the  first  ever 
put  into  White  River  above  what  is  known  as  the  flood- 
wood  and  rapids.  It  was  claimed,  by  all  other  lumber¬ 
men  in  that  vicinity,  that  the  logs  could  never  be  driven 
down  the  stream;  Mr.  Heald’s  fifteen  years’  experience 
had,  however,  taught  him  that  the  flood-wood  and 
rapids  were  not  insurmountable  barriers.  He  personally 
superintended  the  drive  in  the  spring,  and  carried  it 
through  very  successfully,  not  leaving  a  single  log 
behind.  From  that  time  the  business  has  gradually 
increased,  two  mills  being  now  in  operation,  and  the 
amount  of  lumber  cut  annually  being  fifteen  million  feet. 
The  firm  owns  a  lumber-yard  at  Chicago,  which  handles 
most  of  the  lumber  manufactured  at  White  Lake.  Mr. 
Heald  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  White  River 
Log  and  Booming  Company;  and,  for  a  long  time,  has 
been  its  President.  Pie  has  aided  materially  in  the 
erection  of  various  churches  in  Montague  and  Whitehall. 
On  several  occasions,  he  has  been  brought  forward  as  a 
candidate  for  public  offices,  but  has  refused  to  accept 
any  other  than  that  of  Supervisor,  which  he  held  for 
one  year  while  a  resident  of  Port  Huron,  and  for  two 
years  at  Montague.  In  1845  he  joined  the  Odd-Fellows, 
at  Old  Town,  Maine,  and  resigned  membership  in  1854, 
after  removing  from  that  place.  He  has  been  a  Repub¬ 
lican  since  1856.  Mr.  Heald  was  married,  November 
II,  1853,  to  Mary  PL., Bailey,  daughter  of  Amos  Bailey, 
of  Milford,  Maine.  She  died  February  13,  1867,  leaving 
three  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  living.  March  ii, 
1868,  he  was  married  to  Harriet  Woodhaws,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Woodhaws,  of  Detroit.  They  have  had 
three  children,  —  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Having 
begun  life  without  a  dollar,  and  with  many  obstacles 
against  which  to  contend,  Mr.  Heald  has  acquired  a 
competent  fortune  through  his  own  exertions.  His  suc¬ 
cess  may  be  attributed  to  his  indomitable  energy  and 
perseverance,  sound  judgment,  promptness,  and  practi¬ 
cal  knowledge  of  all  the  details  of  the  business  in  which 
he  has  been  for  a  life-time  engaged. 


JNSDALE,  HENRY  W.,  Capitalist,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  oldest  son  of  Pliram  and 
Roxana  (Walbridge)  Hinsdale,  was  born  in  Ben- 
nington,  Vermont,  August  22,  1826,  and  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  in  1835, 
where  he  attended  school.  In  1847  he  entered  a  whole¬ 
sale  grocery  as  clerk.  Six  years  afterward,  he  bought 
out  his  employer;  and,  in  partnership  with  J.  H. 
Dunham,  continued  the  business  for  three  years,  when 
he  purchased  Mr.  Dunham’s  share,  and  conducted  busi¬ 
ness  until  failing  health  compelled  him  to  sell  out  and 
retire,  in  1869.  In  the  autumn  of  1871,  thinking  a 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


51 


quiet  life  and  change  of  business  might  prove  beneficial 
to  him,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan.  Soon  after  his  removal,  the  Chicago  fire 
destroyed  every  building  which  he  owned  in  that  city, 
his  loss  being  estimated  at  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars. 
He  began  rebuilding,  and  soon  several  fine  blocks  of  his 
adorned  the  city  where  the  fire  had  brought  such  ruin. 
He  opened  a  loan  office,  immediately  afterwards,  in 
Grand  Rapids,  where  he  loans  money  for  Eastern  capi¬ 
talists  on  real  estate,  and  has  accumulated  considerable 
landed  property,  both  in  that  city  and  Chicago.  He 
was  married,  in  Chicago,  in  April,  1852,  to  Eliza  J. 
Chatfield,  and  has  had  six  children,  only  three  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Hinsdale  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
St.  Mark’s  Episcopal  Church,  Grand  Rapids.  Although 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  was  spent  in  Chicago,  he  is 
already  widely  known,  and  is  highly  respected  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan.  By  his  uptiring  energy,  sterling  in¬ 
tegrity,  and  remarkable  ability  in  commercial  affairs, 
Mr.  Hinsdale  has  risen  to  a  conspicuous  place  amoirg 
the  capitalists  of  Michigan  and  the  Eastern  States. 

—  .<>. - 

*^[^^OUSEMAN,  HON.  JULIUS,  Grand  Rapids,  was 
x!  born  in  Zeckendorf,  Bavaria,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber  8,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Solomon  Houseman, 
a  cotton  and  linen  manufacturer.  His  mother, 
Henrietta,  was  the  daughter  of  Julius  Strauss,  of  Heili-, 
genstadt,  Bavaria.  Mr.  Houseman  attended  the  National 
Schools  of  Zeckendorf  and  Bamberg  until  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  spent  two  years  in  the  study  of 
commerce  and  the  sciences;  and,  in  1850,  sailed  for 
America.  Immediately  after  landing  ia  New  York,  he 
went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  becoming  clerk  in  a  clothing 
store.  In  1851  he  went  to  New  Vienna,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  eight  months,  serving  in  the  capacity  of  clerk 
in  a  general  country  store.  In  1852  he  removed  to  Battle 
Creek,  Michigan,  forming  a  partnership  with  I.  Amberg 
in  the  merchant  tailor  business;  the  firm  established  a 
store  at  Grand  Rapids,  Mr.  Houseman  taking  charge  of 
it.  At  the  end  of  three  years,  the  partnership  was  dis¬ 
solved,  and  Mr.  Houseman  became  sole  proprietor  of  the 
Grand  Rapids  establishment,  carrying  on  the..business 
for  nine  years.  The  firm  of  Alsberg,  Houseman  &  Co. 
was  then  formed,  and  branch  houses  in  New  York,  Bal¬ 
timore,  and  Savannah,  were  established,  and  kept  up 
until  1870;  Mr.  Houseman  then  sold  out  his  interest  in 
all  except  the  Grand  Rapids  store,  and  the  firm  of 
Houseman  &  May  was  formed,  which  still  continues, 
doing  a  successful  business.  Their  sales  amount  to  over 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  year.  He  repre¬ 
sented  the  First  and  Second  Wards  of  the  city  of  Grand 
Rapids,  as  Alderman,  for  ten  successive  years,  retiring 
in  the  spring  of  1870.  The  same  season,  Mr.  House¬ 


man  went  to  Europe,  spending  the  summer  in  Germany, 
Plngland,  France,  and  Switzerland.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature;  and, 
while  in  the  Legislative  session,  was  elected  Mayor 
of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids.  In  1874  he  was  again 
elected  Mayor;  and,  during  his  administration,  the  pres¬ 
ent  system  of  water-works  was  begun,  and  successfully 
completed.  In  1876  he  was  nominated  for  the  office  of 
Lieutenant-Governor.  On  the  loth  day  of  September, 
1858,  he  married  Jennie  *E.  Ringuet,  of  Grand  Rapids. 


'5[vOPKINS,  HANNIBAL  ALLEN,  late  of  Spring 

Lake,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Ulysses,  Tomp- 
■  kins  County,  New  York,  September  5,  1821. 

He  was  the  third  son  in  a  family  of  seven  chil¬ 
dren.  His  father.  Captain  Benjamin  Hopkins,  moved  to 
Canada,  in  1831,  and  from  there,  in  1837,  to  Michigan, 
at  a  point  on  Grand  River,  now  the  site  of  the  village 
of  Eastmanville.  His  son  early  became  actively  engaged 
in  agricultural  and  lumber  enterprises  at  Eastmanville 
and  Spring  Lake.  In  1845,  of  Hopkins  and 

Brother  erected  two  large  saw-mills  and  entered  exten¬ 
sively  into  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  In  1848  Mr.  Hop¬ 
kins  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Ottawa  County.  In  1868  he 
was  elected  the  first  President  of  the  village.  Both  of 
these  offices  he  held  two  years.  He  was  the  originator  of 
the  project  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  the  medical 
properties  of  the  mineral  springs  of  Spring  Lake,  in 
1870.  In  politics  he  adhered  to  the  Democratic  party. 
Mr.  Hopkins  was  a  man  of  high  literary  attainments.  His 
most  marked  characteristic  was  a  modest  reserve ;  he  never 
obtruded  his  opinions  or  advice  unless  they  were  frankly 
solicited.  Lie  was  a  safe  counselor  and  a  warm-hearted, 
reliable  friend.  The  wants  of  the  poor  never  appealed 
to  him  in  vain.  Socially,  he  was  genial,  tolerant  of  the 
opinions  of  others,  and  possessed  of  a  fund  of  informa¬ 
tion,  which  made  his  conversation  entertaining  and  in¬ 
structive.  Inflexible  truth  and  honor  were  the  ground¬ 
work  of  his  character.  In  1851,  he  married  Emma  C. 
Comfort,  sister  of  Rev.  \V.  Comfort,  and  removed  to 
Spring  Lake,  where  he  died,  July  18,  1871,  leaving  a 
widow  and  five  children. 


^[ii:ILL,  REV.  JAMES  FERDINAND,  of  Muske- 

James  and  Sarah  Hill, 
”^7  prominent  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
w  was  born  at  Thompson,  Connecticut,  August  12, 
1839.  His  fath-er  was  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  Bible, 
which  circumstance,  no  doubt,  had  an  influence  in 
moulding  the  tastes  of  this  son  and  in  determining  his 
profession.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  very  soon  after  the 
death  of  his  mother,  Mr.  J.  F.  Hill  engaged  in  a  store 


52 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


in  East  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and  remained  there 
three  years.  During  this  period  he  united  with  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  commenced  a  course  of  study,  at 
Pierce’s  Academy,  which  he  was  obliged  to  discontinue 
on  account  of  failing  health.  In  November,  1856,  he 
removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  and  entered  into 
the  employ  of  Hovey  &  Co.,  plaster  manufacturers. 
After  working  here  for  some  time,  he  commenced  study¬ 
ing  for  the  ministry,  under  Professor  Everett,  and  then 
entered  Kalamazoo  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1863,  after  a  five  years’  course.  He  immediately  went 
to  Rochester,  New  York;  and,  for  three  years,  carried 
on  his  theological  studies  in  the  seminary.  In  Septem¬ 
ber,  1866,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  at  Norwalk, 
Ohio,  and  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  town 
for  nearly  four  years.  During  that  time,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-four  persons  were  added  to  the  membership 
of  his  church, — sixty-seven  by  baptism,  and  fifty-seven 
by  letter.  In  1870  he  removed  to  Muskegon.  The 
commercial  discipline  of  his  early  life,  his  ample  col¬ 
legiate  and  theological  education,  and  his  four  years’ 
pastorate  at  Norwalk,  had  been  an  excellent  preparation 
for  the  work  of  building  up  a  new  church,  to  which  he 
was  called  in  Muskegon.  The  society  urns  organized  in 
May,  1870;  and,  in  the  following  year,  a  neat  and  com¬ 
modious  house  of  worship  was  erected.  One  hundred 
and  forty-eight  members  have  been  added  since  that 
time, — sixty-four  of  the  number  by  baptism.  Mr.  Hill 
is  highly  esteemed  for  his  excellent  judgment,  unflinch¬ 
ing  integrity,  and  sterling  worth.  He  was  married, 
August  9,  1866,  to  Lucy  S.  Burge,  an  estimable  lady, 
of  Napoleon,  Michigan;  they  have  one  child. 

- K>« - 


I^^OWARD,  JAMES  EARLE,  of  Flint,  Genesee 
County,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Genesee,  Gen- 
esee  County,  Michigan,  January  21,  1848.  His 
parents,  Waldo  and  Lucinda  (Parker)  Howard, 
were  pioneer  settlers  in  Michigan.  His  father’s  death 
left  a  young  family  of  five  children  without  any  means 
of  support.  At  the  age  of  eleven,  Mr.  Howard  left 
school,  and  made  his  home  with  W.  I.  Beardsley, — at 
present  one  of  the  editors  and  publishers  of  the  Flint 
Journal, — and  very  soon  after,  entered  the  store  of  Gov¬ 
ernor  Crapo.  In  December,  1862,  he  took  the  position 
of  news  agent  on  the  Flint  and  Pere-Marquette  Railroad, 
just  opened  from  East  Saginaw  to  Flint.  Six  months 
later,  he  entered  the  American  Express  and  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Office,  at  Flint;  and,  in  1865,  he  was 
telegraph  operator  and  ticket  agent  on  the  Flint  and 
Holly  Railway.  He  remained  there  until  its  consolida¬ 
tion  with  the  Flint  and  Pere-Marquette  Railroad,  when 
he  engaged  with  that  road.  In  November,  1869,  he 
accepted  the  position  of  traveling  auditor  on  the  Fort 


Wayne,  Jackson  and  Saginaw  Railroad;  and,  on  the 
President’s  leaving  to  build  the  Detroit,  Lansing  and 
Lake,  Michigan,  Railroad,  Mr.  Howard  went  with  him, 
as  private  secretary.  He  occupied  that  position,  and 
also  that  of  pay-master,  during  the  construction  of  the 
road.  The  following  notice  appeared  in  the  Flint  Globe, 
September  21,  1871: 

“Mr.  J.  E.  Howard,  whom  all  our  citizens  will  remem¬ 
ber  as  ticket  agent  of  the  Flint  and  Pere-Marquette 
Railroad,  at  this  point,  two  years  since,  has  just  received 
a  promotion  of  which  any  young  man  might  be  proud. 
For  some  time  past,  he  has  been  private  secretary  to  the 
President  of  the  D.  L.  &  L.  M.  R.  R.  ;  but  recently  he 
has  been  appointed  to  the  office  of  cashier  and  general 
ticket  agent  of  the  road,  with  head-quarters  at  Detroit. 
Mr.  Floward  was  born  and  brought  up  here,  and  his 
success  is  a  source  of  pride  to  his  old  acquaintances  in' 
Flint.” 

At  the  same  time,  he  was  also  elected  Secretary  of  the 
Detroit  and  Bay  City  Railroad,  In  the  year  1874,  he 
was  elected  Assistant  Treasurer  of  the  D.  L.  &  L.  M. 
R.  R.,  which  position  he  now  fills.  He  has  been  con¬ 
nected  with  the  company  since  its  organization,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  officials  employed.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  U.  S.  Grant. 
He  united  with  the  Baptist  Church,  in  February,  1869. 
He  was  married,  Tuesday,  July  28,  1874,  by  the  Rev.  S. 
W.  Titus,  to  Florence  E.  Titus,  daughter  of  the  offici¬ 
ating  clergyman. 


ENDERSON,  DONALD  CAMPBELL,  Allegan, 
Michigan,  was  born  March  20,  1826,  in  Thurso, 
Caithness  County,  Scotland.  He  is  the  founder, 
principal  proprietor,  and  editor-in-chief  of  the 
Allegan  (Michigan)  Journal,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
influential  Republican  papers  in  the  State.  Although 
for  many  years  occupying  an  enviable  prominence  as  a 
journalist,  he  has  never  had  any  title  conferred  upon 
him;  yet  he  has  held  honorary  public  positions  in  both 
Michigan  and  New  York.  To  his  editorial  contem¬ 
poraries  and  personal  friends,  he  is  known  as  Don 
Henderson.  His  parents,  James  and  Isabella  (Campbell) 
Henderson,  were  natives  of  Caithness,  Scotland,  and 
were  related  to  some  of  the  most  respectable  families  of 
that  county,  among  whom  were  the  Campbells,  Sinclairs, 
and  Mclvors.  His  father  received  a  superior  education, 
being  intended  for  the  law.  When  a  youth,  he  was 
private  secretary  to  Sir  John  Sinclair,  the  admirer  and 
correspondent  of  George  Washington.  He  was  cousin 
and  namesake  of  the  renowned  British  military  hero. 
Colonel  James  Sinclair.  In  1834  he  emigrated  to 
America,  and  was  employed,  at  Hamilton,  Canada,  and 
Rochester,  New  York,  in  the  construction  of  mills.  He 
settled  in  Detroit  in  1835,  removed  to  Allegan, 

Michigan,  in  1838,  where  he  assisted  in  the  construction 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


53 


of  the  first  flour-mill  erected  there.  Subsequently,  he 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was  identified 
with  farm  interests  for  the  I'emainder  of  his  life.  Mr. 
Henderson  possessed  a  fine  literary  taste,  and  evinced 
a  studious  interest  in  every  branch  of  intellectual 
inquiry,  especially  of  works  of  a  mathematical  character. 
He  died,  at  his  son’s  residence,  in  Allegan,  September 
30,  1875,  advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  His 

wife,  a  highly  respected  lady,  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
her,  had  died  in  Trowbridge,  May  i,  1872.  They  had 
five  children, — three  sons,  Alexander  Henderson,  Sheriff’ 
of  Allegan  County  for  two  terms;  Donald  C.  Henderson, 
the  subject  of  this  article;  James  D.  Henderson,  Captain 
and  Assistant-Quartermaster,  United  States  'Volunteers; 
and  two  daughters,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  S.  Nichols,  of  Alle¬ 
gan,  and  Mrs.  Anne  B.  Clubb,  wife  of  Rev.  Henry  S. 
Clubb,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  formerly  of  Grand 
Haven,  Michigan.  Mr.  Henderson  early  impressed  upon 
the  minds  of  his  children  the  value  of  education,  and,  to 
him,  his  son  is  greatly  indebted  for  his  desire  for  knowl¬ 
edge  and  his  taste  for  books.  When  his  parents  removed 
to  Allegan,  Mr.  Don  Henderson  was  left  in  Detroit,  to 
attend  the  select  school  of  Washington  A.  Bacon,  where 
he  obtained  a  good  education,  having  for  his  associates 
some  who  afterwards  became  the  first  men  of  Detroit. 
While  pursuing  his  studies  in  this  school,  he  was  clerk 
in  the  theological  book-store  of  Mr.  A.  McFarran,  where 
the  library  of  the  Young  Men’s  Society  was  kept.  Here 
he  enjoyed  every  advantage  for  the  cultivation  of  his 
mind  and  the  gratification  of  his  literary  tastes.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Allegan,  and  was  placed 
by  his  parents  in  the  village  academy,  where  he  finished 
his  studies  under  the  tuition  of  the  late  E.  B  Bassett. 
He  early  formed  a  strong  attachment  for  the  standard 
authorities  in  English  literature.  His  youthful  mind 
was  also  well  stored  with  valuable  information,  gleaned 
from  extensive  historical  and  biographical  researches. 
A  close  and  attentive  student,  he  early  formed  the  habit 
of  reducing  his  thoughts  to  writing,  in  the  way  of  com¬ 
positions  and  newspaper  articles.  Some  of  these  fugitive 
efforts  of  the  boy-editor  were  not  wanting  in  marked 
literary  ability.  Though  naturally  rugged,  his  close  study 
began  to  effect  his  health  before  he  was  eighteen  years  of 
age.  In  1842,  through  the  influence  of  his  father,  Mr. 
Plenderson  obtained  a  situation  in  the  Allegan  Record 
printing  office,  where  he  learned  the  art  of  typography. 
His  first  literary  efforts  were  laid  bqfore  the  public  in  this 
paper;  they  were  mostly  of  a  local  and  ephemeral  char¬ 
acter.  In  1845  ^  printer  was  wanted  for  the  Paw-Paw 
Free  Press,  published  by  John  McKinney,  and  Mr. 
Henderson  was  selected  for  the  place.'  At  the  age  of 
nineteen,  he  was  foreman  of  the  Free  Fress  office,  and 
made  all  the  literary  and  news  selections  for  that  paper; 
but,  the  work  being  too  arduous,  he  abandoned  the 
printing  business,  and  resumed  the  position  of  book¬ 


seller’s  clerk  in  Detroit,  where  he  remained  until  1847. 
He  then  went  to  New  York  city,  to  occupy  the  position 
of  private  secretary  to  Horace  Greeley,  who  was  then 
chief  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  and  conducted  a 
voluminous  correspondence  with  the  leaders  of  the  Whig 
party  throughout  the  Union.  While  holding  this 
responsible  position,  he  obtained  much  general  informa¬ 
tion  from  the  great  American  editor,  which  gave  him  a 
practical  and  classical  knowledge  of  the  use  of  language, 
and  the  inner  workings  of  politics,  of  great  service  to 
him  in  after  life.  Through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Greeley, 
Mr.  Henderson  was  subsequently  made  proof-reader, 
reporter,  and  assistant  editor  of  the  Tribune.  In  the 
latter  capacity,  his  duties  were  confined  exclusively  to 
the  political  department, — revising  correspondence  for 
publication,  and  commenting  on  the  stirring  political 
events  attendant  upon  the  anti-slavery  agitation  prelimi¬ 
nary  to  the  formation  of  the  ReiDublican  party.  He  was 
employed  in  the  Tribune  office  from  1847  to  1855.  Dur¬ 
ing  his  long  connection  with  this  great  journal,  Mr. 
Henderson  enjoyed  the  entire  confidence  of  its  distin¬ 
guished  editor-in-chief,  the  lamented  Horace  Greeley,  by 
whom  he  was  promoted,  step  by  step,  to  a  leading  posi¬ 
tion  in  the  political  management  of  the  Tribune,—  ^ 
position  second  only  to  that  occupied  by  Mr.  Charles 
A.  Dana,  now  of  the  New  York  Sun.  In  February, 
1856,  Mr.  Henderson  returned  to  Michigan,  and,  April 
3d  of  that  year,  established  the  Allegan  Journal,  with 
which  he  has  been  connected  ever  since,  except  for  a 
brief  interval  in  1874-5,  ’when  he  was  interested  in  the 
Grand  Rapids  Daily  Times.  The  Journal  ranks  as  one 
of  the  leading  political  papers  of  the  State,  and,  in  1873, 
it  took  the  premium  at  the  State  Fair  as  the  best  edited 
and  printed  newspaper  in  Michigan.  In  August,  1872, 
Mr.  Henderson  formed  a  copartnership  with  Mr.  Edwy 
C.  Reid  in  editing  and  publishing  the  Journal.  Mr. 
Reid  is  a  young  man  of  much  talent  and  typographical 
taste.  The  Journal  celebrated  the  twentieth  anniversary 
of  its  publication  by  Mr.  Henderson,  March  18,  1876, 
appearing  in  a  large  double  number.  Letters  of  con¬ 
gratulation  were  received  from  President  Grant,  Vice- 
President  Ferry,  Secretary  Chandler,  Governor  Bagley, 
Schuyler  Colfax,  George  William  Curtis,  Governor 
Croswell,  and  a  large  number  of  other  distinguished 
military,  literary,  and  public  men  throughout  the  Union. 
In  1855  Mr.  Henderson  was  appointed,  by  General 
Leavenworth,  of  New  York,  as  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Census  Marshals  of  New  York  City,  and  superin¬ 
tended  the  taking  of  the  census  of  that  city.  After 
discharging  the  duties  of  that  office  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  Secretary  of  State,  upon  his  return  to  Michigan, 
in  1857,  he  was  chosen  Reporter  of  the  State  Senate, 
and  compiled  the  legislative  manual  for  several  years. 
In  1859-60  he  was  appointed,  by  Governor  Wisner,  State 
Swamp -Land  Road  Commissioner,  and  superintended 


54 


RJiPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


the  survey  of  a  public  highway  from  Allegan  to  Traverse 
City,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles, —  a  public  work 
which  has  since  been  completed,  and  has  opened  a  vast 
body  of  public  lazids  to  settlement.  He  was  once  chosen 
Coroner  of  Allegan  County,  but  never  qualified.  Mr. 
Henderson  has  been  averse  to  holding  offices  of  a  purely 
political  character,  as  rather  tending  to  degrade  the 
honorable  position  of  journalism,  which  he  has  adopted 
as  a  life-calling.  Upon  the  inauguration  of  President 
Hayes,  he  was  very  generally  mentioned  for  the  office 
of  Public  Printer  at  Washington.  He  was  indorsed  by 
the  Legislature  of  Michigan;. by  a  memorial  and  edito¬ 
rial  notices;  and  by  leading  men  throughout  the  country. 
The  position,  however,  had  been  previously  promised 
to  J.  D.  Defrees.  Mr.  Henderson  has  always  taken  a 
lively  interest  in  works  of  public  improvement,  and  has 
aided  the  construction  of  all  the  railroads  centering  in 
Allegan,  as  far  as  his  means  would  permit.  His  paper 
was  the  first  one  to  advocate  the  construction  of  the 
Michigan  Ship  Canal,  connecting  Lakes  Michigan  and 
Erie.  River  and  harbor  improvements  have  ever  found 
in  him  a  zealous  and  able  advocate.  For  several  years 
during  his  residence  in  New  York  City,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  the  Union,  a  secret  benevolent 
and  patriotic  association.  When  a  member  of  the  New 
York  Printers’  Union,  he  was  a  delegate  from  that  asso¬ 
ciation  to  the  New  York  City  Industrial  Congress,  and 
Secretary  of  the  latter  organization.  He  is  now  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows,  and 
several  other  literary  and  benevolent  societies.  Before 
the  war,  he  traveled  through  Maryland  and  Virginia  as 
a  newspaper  correspondent,  and  has  passed  several  win¬ 
ters  in  Washington  and  Lansing  in  a  similar  capacity. 
As  a  member  of  the  3d  Michigan  Cavalry,  he  scouted 
on  both  sides  of  the  MississipjDi  River,  from  Cairo  to 
Texas,  and  served  on  the  staffs  of  several  of  the  Union 
Generals  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was 
educated  in  the  most  rigid  Scotch  Presbyterian  school, 
and  had,  during  his  stay  in  Detroit,  Hon.  Zachariah 
Chandler  as  one  of  his  Sunday-school  teachers.  When  a 
youth,  he  read  many  of  the  standard  works  of  various 
denominaiions  on  theology,  and  formed  quite  a  taste  for 
dogmatic  disquisitions.  This  metaphysical  training 
greatly  strengthened  his  mind,  and  imparted  a  decidedly 
positive  tone  to  his  views  on  all  subjects.  He  was  a 
Free-Soil  anti-slavery  Whig  in  his  politics,  from  his  youth 
up.  In  1848  he  labored  for  the  election  of  Van  Buren 
and  Adams,  on  the  Buffalo  Free-Soil  platform.  In  1852 
he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Pittsburg  Free-Soil 
National  Convention,  that  nominated  John  P.  Hale  for 
the  Presidency,  but  did  not  accept  the  appointment, 
being  a  warm  personal  and  political  friend  of  William 
H.  Seward.  Fie  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  Whig 
National  Convention,  held  at  Baltimore  that  year,  sup¬ 
porting  the  nomination  of  Winfield  Scott  over  Fillmore 


in  that  body.  In  i860  he  was  complimented  by  being 
appointed,  by  the  National  Committee,  to  serve  as  a 
delegate  to  the  Chicago  National  Convention  from  the 
State  of  Texas,  and  assisted  in  the  nomination  of  Abra¬ 
ham  Lincoln  for  the  Presidency.  Horace  Greeley  repre¬ 
sented  Oregon  in  the  same  convention.  In  1868  he  was 
a  delegate  from  Michigan  to  the  Veteran  Soldiers’ 
National  Convention,  that  presented  General  Grant’s 
name  for  the  Presidency.  He  was  a  -looker-on  at  the 
Republican  National  Conventions  of  1872  and  1876, 
favoring  the  renomination  of  Grant  at  the  former  con¬ 
vention,  and  James  G.  Blaine  at  the  latter.  He  has 
represented  Allegan  County  in  nearly  every  State  and 
Congressional  Convention  since  1856,  except  during  his 
absence  in  the  Union  Army,  in  which  bodies  he  has 
always  taken  an  important  part, — serving  as  a  member 
of  all  the  important  committees.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Republican  party,  and  was  consulted  by 
Mr.  Greeley  in  giving  the  party  its  name,  when  the  late 
Jacob  M.  Howard,  of  Michigan,  wrote  to  Mr.  Greeley 
as  to  the  partisan  designation  to  be  given  to  the  new 
party,  which  was  to  revolutionize  the  politics  of  the 
whole  country,  and  make  it  one  great  and  free  nation 
in  fact  as  well  as  name.  The  following  lines,  in  the 
language  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  are  a  faithful  delinea¬ 
tion  of  Mr.  Henderson’s  (Harry  Franco)  character  as  a 
writer: 

“  There  comes  Harry  Franco,  and,  as  he  draws  near. 

You  find  that’s  a  smile  which  you  took  for  a  sneer  ; 

One-half  of  him  contradicts  ’tother  ;  his  wont 
Is  to  say  very  shai'p  things,  and  do  very  blunt ; 

His  manner’s  as  hard  as  his  feelings  are  tender, 

And  a  sortie  he’ll  make  when  he  means  to  surrender  ; 

He’s  in  joke  half  the  time  when  he  seems  to  be  sternest. 
When  he  seems  to  be  joking,  be  sure  he’s  in  earnest; 

He  has  common  sense  in  a  way  that’s  uncommon. 

Hates  humbug  and  cant,  loves  his  friends  like  a  woman  ; 
Builds  his  dislikes  of  cards,  his  friendships  of  oak 
Loves  a  prejudice  better  than  aught  but  a  joke  ; 

Is  half  upright  Quaker,  half  downright  Come-outer, 

Loves  Freedom  too  well  to  go  stark  mad  about  her  ; 

Quite  artless  himself  is  a  lover  of  art, 

Shuts  yoxi  out  of  his  secrets  and  into  his  heart.” 

During  the  holiday  season  of  1877-78,  Mr.  Flenderson 
made  a  trip  to  his  old  home  in  Detroit;  and,  at  the 
request  of  its  leading  citizens,  prepared  an  historical 
sketch  of  that  old  city.  The  sketch  was  very  full,  com¬ 
plete,  and  accurate,  and  its  author  was  engaged  nine 
days  in  preparing  it  for  publication.  It  occupied 
twenty-five  columns  of  the  Journal.  As  an  indorsement 
of  his  historical  efforts,  Mr.  Henderson  has  been  the 
recipient  of  numerous  encomiums  from  the  literati  of  the 
beautiful  City  of  the  Straits,  for  his  interesting  contri¬ 
bution  to  the  history  of  the  State  of  Michigan.  Probably 
no  editor  in  the  State  has  wai'mer  friends  than  Mr. 
Henderson.  Even  his  most  bitter  political  antagonists 
are  always  ready  to  do  him  honor.  He  is  a  versatile 
genius,  writing  with  ease,  force,  and  elegance  on  all 


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I 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


55 


political,  literary,  and  historical  subjects.  He  has  had 
an  honorable  and  active  service  of  thirty-five  years  with 
the  press.  Few  journalists  have  exercised  their  respon¬ 
sibilities  with  greater  conscientiousness  and  with  a  larger 
measure  of  success. 


-iOLMES,  HON.  JOHN  T.,  Judge  of  the  Superior 
Court,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Car- 
lisle,  Schoharie  County,  New  York,  on  the  nth 
^  of  December,  1815.  His  father,  Daniel  Holmes, 
originally  of  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  was  for 
forty  years  a  deacon  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
Niagara  County,  New  York.  His  mother,  Sally  (Taylor) 
Holmes,  was  a  daughter  of  John  Taylor,  who,  for  many 
years,  was  Judge  in  Saratoga  County,  New  York.  Her 
brother,  Hon.  John  W.  Taylor,  represented  the  Saratoga 
District  in  Congress  for  eleven  consecutive  years,  and 
was  Speaker  of  the  House  during  the  Sixteenth  and 
Nineteenth  Congresses.  In  early  youth,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  pursued  his  studies  in  Niagara  County,  and 
in  a  select  school  at  Cherry  Valley,  New  York.  His 
father  intended  him  for  the  ministry,  but  as  he  was 
indisposed  toward  that  profession,  his  father^recalled 
him  from  Cherry  Valley  school  and  put  him  to  work  on 
the  farm,  where,  with  slight  intermissions,  during  which 
he  was  engaged  in  other  occupations,  he  continued  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority.  At  Wilson,  Niagara 
County,  New  York,  March  31,  1836,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Ann,  daughter  of  Nathan  Pratt,  who,  in  early  life,  had 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  next  year,  Mr. 
Holmes  decided  to  emigrate  to  Michigan,  and  arrived, 
with  his  wife,  at  Detroit,  June  i,  1837.  Having  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  the  intervening  time  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  in  December  he  visited  Grand  Rapids, 
and,  being  pleased  with  the  locality,  moved  there  on  the 
14th  of  P'ebruary,  1838,  and  settled  permanently.  He 
first  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  store,  where  he  remained 
a  year.  In  1839,  he  opened  a  general  assortment  of 
goods  with  Mr.  Henry,  under  the  firm  name  of  Henry  & 
Holmes,  and  continued  in  this  business  three  years,  dur¬ 
ing  which  time,  as  he  had  sufficient  leisure,  he  read  law. 
Then,  selling  out  his  interest  to  his  partner,  he  decided 
to  devote  his  entire  time  to  the  study  of  law,  and  entered 
the  law  office  of  Bridge  &  Calkins,  where  he  continued  as 
a  student  until  the  17th  of  May,  1843,  when  he  was  ad¬ 
mitted  to  the  bar.  The  death  of  Mr.  Bridge  induced  Mr. 
Holmes  to  enter  into  partnership  with  his  former  tutor, 
C.  P.  Calkins,  under  the  firm  name  of  Calkins  &  Holmes; 
and,  subsequently,  for  thirty-two  years,  there  was  no 
term  of  the  Circuit  Court  at  which  he  did  not  attend, 
and  in  which  he  did  not  have  a  number  of  cases  for 
trial.  In  1845  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but, 
after  the  third  year,  resigned  tnis  office,  and  devoted 


himself  wholly  to  the  duties  of  his  profession.  On  the 
1st  of  January,  1853,  having  been  elected  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  this  office, 
which  he  held  two  terms,  —  four  years.  In  i860,  he 
was  the  Democratic  nominee  for  State  Senator,  and  in 
1862,  was  nominated  on  the  Union  Democratic  ticket 
for  Attorney-General.  Although  receiving  a  large  and 
flattering  vote,  he,  in  common  with  the  other  nominees 
on  the  ticket,  was  defeated.  Subsequently,  for  thirteen 
years,  he  would  not  accept  nomination  for  any  political 
office.  In  i875i  on  the  occasion  of  the  organization  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  Grand  Rapids,  he  was,  by  a  large 
majority,  elected  Judge  of  that  Court,  over  which  he.  has 
since  continued  to  preside.  Judge  Holmes  is  one  of  the 
oldest  members  of  the  Kent  County  bar.  Pie  came  into 
the  county,  and  settled  at  Grand  Rapids  when  it  was  in 
a  wilderness  condition;  has  grown  with  its  growth,  and 
identified  himself  with  its  legal  and  judicial  history. 
Plis  practice  in  its  courts  has  been  large,  and  his  expe¬ 
rience  varied  and  extensive.  He  regards  the  legal  pro¬ 
fession  as  most  important,  involving  grave  duties  and 
high  responsibilities.  He  has  been  i-eady  to  counsel 
and  assist  the  poor  as  freely  as  the  rich  client.  He  has 
probably  rendered  more  legal  service  without  reward  or 
expectation  of  reward,  beyond  the  gratification  which 
ever  attends  the  generous  giver,  than  any  other  prac¬ 
titioner  of  the  Kent  County  bar.  Judge  Holmes,  as  a 
lawyer,  was  painstaking  and  careful  in  the  presentation 
of  his  cases.  His  efforts  before  a  jury  were  usually  quite 
persuasive  and  sometimes  brilliant,  winning  them  by 
pathos  rather  than  vehemence,  leading  rather  than  driving 
them  to  a  verdict.  In  this  way,  his  efforts  were  generally 
attended  with  success.  As  a  judge,  he  presides  with 
dignity  and  urbanity,  and  whatever  may  be  the  merit 
of  his  rulings  and  decisions,  they  are  always  acquiesced 
in  by  the  bar,  as  being  rendered  with  entire  impartiality. 
As  a  citizen,  and  a  member  of  society.  Judge  Holmes  is 
highly  respected,  being  affable  and  agreeable  in  conver¬ 
sation,  even  disposed  to  jocularity  with  the  members  of 
the  bar,  polished  in  manners,  and  of  most  gentlemanly 
address;  his  reputation  extends  beyond  his  county  and 
State. 

- - 


fjlOVEY,  WILLIAM,  Manufacturer,  Grand  Rapids, 
is  a  native  of  Concord,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
was  born,  in  December,  1812.  When  Mr.  Hovey 
was  six  months  old,  his  parents  removed  from 
Concord,  and  spent  the  next  eleven  years  in  Leming- 
burg,  Acton,  and  Charlestown  ;  after  four  j'ears  residence 
in  the  latter  place,  they  removed  to  Cambridgeport, 
remaining  there  thirty-three  years.  His  father  was  in 
very  poor  health  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  strait¬ 
ened  circumstances,  and  it  was  necessary  for  the  son  to 
support  himself  after  the  age  of  twelve.  He  spent 


56 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


three  years  as  clerk  in  a  book  store ;  but,  possessing  a 
decided  mechanical  genius,  he  concluded  to  serve  an 
apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade.  In 
1852  he  went  into  business  for  himself,  and  accumulated 
several  thousand  dollars,  which  he  invested  in  the  build¬ 
ing  of  an  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of  sashes, 
doors,  and  dressed  lumber.  In  1843  he  l^st  everything 
by  fire,  and  found  himself  deeply  in  debt.  His  friends 
advised  him  to  engage  in  the  business  of  architecture, 
for  which  he  had  a  taste ;  the  venture  proved  quite  suc¬ 
cessful,  but  a  bronchial  affection  soon  compelled  him  to 
seek  another  climate.  In  1856  he  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan ;  after  three  months’  residence,  his 
health  was  so  much  restored  that  he  determined  to 
remain,  and  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  calcine  and 
land  plaster.  In  i860  the  Grand  Rapids  Plaster  Com¬ 
pany  was  organized,  and  Mr.  Hovey  was  appointed 
general  manager  and  treasurer,  which  position  he  still 
holds.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church 
since  1827;  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Cambridgeport, 
Massachusetts,  till  1856,  and  since  that  time,  of  the 
church  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Republican  party,  but  has  always  refused  political 
office.  July  31,  1834,  Mr.  Hovey  married  Sarah  M. 
Stone,  of  Cambridgeport,  Massachusetts.  They  have 
had  five  children,  two  of  whom,  a  son  and  daughter,  are 
living.  Mr.  Hovey  is  a  man  of  large  and  generous 
sympathies,  and  of  an  enterprising  spirit.  He  will  be 
remembered  in  Grand  Rapids,  where  the  most  of  his 
active  life  has  been  spent,  chiefly  by  his  connection  with 
the  Baptist  Church  and  society;  the  leading  part  he  has 
taken,  and  the  sacrifices  he  has  made  to  promote  its 
interests.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Building  Committee 
in  the  erection  of  their  beautiful  and  commodious  house 
of  worship,  to  which,  for  six  years,  he  devoted  his  time 
and  personal  attentions,  with  an  assiduity  which  most 
men  give  only  to  their  individual  affairs;  and  the  edifice 
stands  as  a  monument,  especiallv  of  his  taste,  and  of  his 
energetic  and  persevering  efforts. 


^OLLISTER,  HARVEY  J.,  Cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  at 
Romeo,  Macomb  County,  Michigan,  on  the  30th 
of  August,  1830.  His  father,  John  H.  Hollister, 
was  a  Colonel  in  the  War  of  1812,  under  General  Scott. 
He  was  one  of  the  earliest  citizens  of  Michigan,  having 
come  to  the  Territory  in  1825,  and  assisted  in  organiz¬ 
ing  the  Territorial  Government.  In  connection  with 
General  Burt,  he  surveyed  large  tracts  of  land  in  Michi¬ 
gan.  His  mother,  Mary  (Chamberlain)  Hollister,  was 
the  oldest  child  of  her  parents,  originally  of  Berkshire 
County,  Massachusetts.  Still  living,  about  eighty  years 
old,  she  is  a  woman  remarkable  for  vigor  of  character. 


kindness  of  disposition,  and  strength  and  fervor  of 
religious  faith.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the 
first  seventeen  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  village, 
where  he  helped  his  widowed  mother  by  working  on 
her  farm  in  summer.  In  winter  he  attended  school.  In 
1847  1848,  he  taught  school  near  Romeo;  and,  in 

the  spring  of  the  latter  year,  engaged  his  services  as  an 
apprentice  to  a  druggist 'at  Pontiac.  In  this  occupation 
he  continued  two  years,  receiving,  in  compensation  for 
his  services,  thirty  dollars  and  his  board  and  lodging 
the  first  year,  and,  for  the  second  year,  seventy  dol¬ 
lars  more.  In  May,  1850,  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids 
and  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  William 
H.  McConnell,  where,  for  one  year’s  service,  he  re¬ 
ceived  two  hundred  and  seventy  dollars.  He  then 
took  charge  of  the  drug  store  of  W.  G.  Henry,  known 
as  the  old  Faneuil  Hall  drug  store,  and  remained  in 
that  position  one  year.  Then  he  accepted  an  offer  from 
Mr.  John  Kendall  to  become  a  clerk  in  his  dry  goods 
store,  at  a  salary  of  four  hundred  dollars,  and  remained 
with  him  one  year.  In  1853  he  entered  the  banking 
house  of  Daniel  Ball  &  Co.,  and  took  charge  of  the 
business  as  the  chief  clerk  of  that  firm.  He  remained 
in  this  position  five  years;  his  salary  for  the  first  year 
being  six  hundred  dollars,  and  for  the  last,  fifteen  hun¬ 
dred.  In  1858  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ball  in  the  banking  business,  the  company  having  also 
two  other  houses, —  one  at  Ionia,  and  the  other  at  Lyons. 
In  October,  1861,  the  company  went  into  liquidation, 
when  Mr.  Hollister  engaged  in  the  banking  business 
with  Martin  L.  Sweet,  Esq.,  at  the  stand  formerly  occu¬ 
pied  by  Daniel  Ball  &  Co.  Here  he  continued  until 
March,  1864,  when  the  First  National  Bank  of  Grand 
Rapids  was  organized,  and  the  banking  house  of  M.  L. 
Sweet  was  merged  into  it;  since  which  time  until  the 
present,  Mr.  Hollister  has  been  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Grand  Rapids.  During  those  years, 
Mr.  Hollister  became  connected  with  several  manu¬ 
facturing  companies.  He  is  a  large  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Michigan  Barrel  Company,  incorporated, 
with  a  capital  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars;  a 
stockholder  and  director  of  the  Grand  Rapids  Chair 
Company,  incorporated,  with  a  capital  of  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars;  and  also  a  stockholder  and  director  of 
the  Grand  Rapids  Burial  Case  Company,  incorporated, 
with  a  capital  of  eighty  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Hollister 
has  always  voted  the  Republican  ticket,  but  has  eschewed 
politics  and  political  favors  and  patronage.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church ;  has  been  vari¬ 
ously  connected  with  its  Sabbath  School  for  twenty- 
seven  years,  and  for  many  years  he  has  been  its 
Superintendent ;  during  this  period  he  has  also  been 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Congregational  Society 
of  Grand  Rapids.  On  the  6th  of  June,  1855,  Hol¬ 
lister  married  Martha,  daughter  of  Colonel  George  G. 


4 


♦ 


•P- 


V 


I  TIC?'  if  EBEkU^Son,.  ISB&kUjSiE  Y 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


57 


Clay,  of  Deerfield,  Massachusetts.  He  has  four  chil¬ 
dren  by  this  union,  one  daughter  and  tln-ee  sons.  Mr. 
Hollister  is  a  thorough  banker, — being  master  of  the 
business  in  theory  and  practice.  In  his  knowledge  of 
the  banking  system,  he  takes  no  second  place, —his 
ready  and  clear  comprehension  of  all  business  operations 
and  engagements,  contingent  or  dependent  upon  the  aid 
afforded  by  banks,  having  won  for  him  the  entire  confi¬ 
dence  of  his  business  associates.  In  disposition,  he  is 
gentlemanly  and  amiable,  thus  winning  friends,  and,  by 
his  sincerity  of  behavior,  continuing  to  hold  them.  A 
self-made  m4n,  as  we  have  shown,  he  has,  by  habits  of 
frugality  and  industry,  joined  to  sound  business  qualifi¬ 
cations  and  decision  of  character,  risen  from  obscurity, 
as  a  youth,  to  eminence  in  manhood;  and,  while  yet  in 
his  prime,  takes  position  among  the  first  business  men 
of  his  native  State. 

- - 


|{VOLT,  LIEUT.-GOVERNOR  HENRY  H.,  of 
F  Muskegon,  was  born  in  Camden,  Oneida  County, 
New  York,  March  27,  1831.  The  ne.xt  year,  his 
father,  Henry  Holt,  removed  to  the  adjoining 
county  of  Herkimer,  where  he  resided,  excepting  when 
absent  at  school,  until  November,  1852.  He  then  came 
to  Michigan  with  his  father’s  family.  He  attended 
school  several  years  at  Fairfield  Academy,  and  one  year 
at  Christ’s  Church  Hall,  in  Pomfret,  Connecticut,  pur¬ 
suing  the  studies  usually  taught  in  similar  schools,  as 
well  as  those  taught  during  the  first  two  years  of  a  reg¬ 
ular  college  course.  In  1855  he  commenced  the  study 
of  law,  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  Pie  then  entered  Union  Law  College,  in 
Ohio,  from  which  he  graduated  in  July,  1857.  In  Sep¬ 
tember  of  that  year,  he  was  admitted  to  practice,  at 
Grand  Rapids,  Chief- Justice  Martin  at  that  time  being 
Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court.  In  June,  1858,  he  settled 
in  Muskegon,  and  opened  an  office,  where  he  has  since 
continued  to  practice  his  profession.  In  November, 

1858,  Governor  Holt  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attoimey 
of  Ottawa  County,  and  continued  in  office  until  June, 

1859.  He  was  then  elected  to  the  same  position  in 
Muskegon  County,  which  was,  about  that  time,  formed 
from  a  part  of  the.  territory  formerly  included  in  Ot¬ 
tawa  County.  He  held  the  office  four  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time,  he  was  elected  Circuit  Court  Commis¬ 
sioner  for  Muskegon  County;  and,  two  years  afterwards, 
was  re-elected.  In  1866  he  was  elected  a  Representa¬ 
tive  to  the  State  legislature;  being  re-elected  in  1868, 
he  became  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Ways  and 
Means.  In  1870  he  was  again  re-elected,  and  placed 
upon  the  same  committee.  He  was  very  earnest  in 
behalf  of  the  charitable  institutions  of  the  State,  and 
the  present  prosperity  of  some  of  them  at  least  is  largely 

b8 


owing  to  his  assistance  in  procuring  appropriations.  In 
1872  he  was  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Michigan, 
and  was  re-elected  in  1874.  Governor  Holt  has  been 
quite  an  extensive  traveler,  having  made  two  trips  abroad, 
during  which  he  visited  most  of  the  countries  of  Europe, 
including  Greece  and  Turkey.  He  also  visited  Egypt 
and  Palestine,  and  returned  with  a  fine  collection  of 
pictures,  other  works  of  art,  and  rare  curiosities.  Pie 
was  married,  in  May,  1867,  to  Mary  E.  Raynor,  daugh¬ 
ter  of  John  T.  Raynor,  formerly  of  Lansing.  She  died 
July  26,  1872.  In  P'ebruary,  1878,  Governor  Holt  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Catherine  E.  Hackley,  of  Muskegon, 
formerly  of  Ogdensburg,  New  York. 


^|!V,OLDEN,  EBENEZER  GREGG  DANFORTH, 
Secretary  of  State,  Michigan,  was  the  youngest 
of  five  sons,  and  was  born  P'ebruary  18,  1834,  in 
w  a  log-cabin  of  the  pioneer  settlement  in  Kirk¬ 
land  Township,  Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio.  His  parents, 
Josiah  Rhodes  and  Joanna  Reed  (Danforth)  Holden, 
were  natives  of  New  Hampshire,  and  were  married 
January  24,  1824.  The  genealogy  of  the  Holden  family 
is  traced  back  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight  years,  on  the 
western  continent,  to  three  brothers,  Richard,  Justinian, 
and  Randall  Holden,  who  crossed  the  ocean  in  1609, 
1611,  and  1612,  respectively.  They  were  Puritans,  who, 
according  to  tradition,  escaped  from  the  Tower  of  Lon¬ 
don  to  France,  and  thence  to  the  New  World.  All  who 
bear  the  name  of  Plolden  in  America  trace  their  ancestry 
to  one  of  these  three  brothers,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
being  a  descendant  of  Richard.  Connected  with  this 
family  was  the  Hon.  Samuel  Plolden,  P’resident  of  the 
Bank  of  England,  who,  though  he  never  came  to  Amer¬ 
ica,  erected  the  Holden  Chapel,  at  Harvard  University, 
in  1744;  a  picture  of  which  has  been  secured  by  the 
Plistorical  and  Genealogical  Society  of  America,  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  Oliver  Holden,  of  Charlestown, 
Massachusetts,  was  the  author  of  the  world-renowned 
hymn,  “Coronation.”  He  died  in  1844,  at  the  ad¬ 
vanced  age  of  eighty  years.  Many  facts  relative  to  the 
family  have  been  obtained  by  the  patient  research  of 
Frederick  A.  Plolden,  Secretary  of  the  Holden  Histor¬ 
ical  Society,  at  Washington,  who  has  given  more  than 
twenty-five  years  to  the  work,  and  has  found  nothing 
of  which  any  man  need  be  ashamed,  but  much  to  make 
any  one  bearing  the  name  feel  justly  proud.  The  direct 
ancestry  of  E.  G.  D.  Plolden  is  traced  back,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-five  years,  to  John  Holden,  who  was  born  in 
1692,  and  was  married  to  Savola  Davis,  in  November, 
1715.  From  the  date  of  this  marriage,  the  line  of  de¬ 
scent  is  complete.  On  his  mother’s  side,  the  record  is 
not  so  perfect,  but  dates  back  to  1718,  wdren  a  large 
number  of  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  in  Londonderry, 


58 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


in  the  north  of  Ireland,  united  in  a  petition  to  “His 
Excellency,  the  Right  Honorable  Colonel  Samuel  Suitte, 
Governor  of  New  England,”  for  a  transportation  to  the 
‘  ‘  Runnymede  Plantations  ”  of  that  country.  This  petition 
is  dated  March  26,  1718,  and  has  appended  three  hun¬ 
dred  and  eighteen  names,  among  which  is  that  of  James 
Gregg.  He  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  and  emi¬ 
grated  with  his  parents  to  the  north  of  Ireland  in  1690. 
He  was  the  grandfather  of  Colonel  Ebenezer  Gregg,  of 
Revolutionary  fame,  who  was  the  granduncle  of  Secre¬ 
tary  Holden’s  mother.  To  her  only  brother,  for  whom 
her  youngest  son  was  named,  was  transmitted  the  name 
of  this  granduncle.  Less  than  half  a  year  after  the 
birth  of  E.  G.  D.  Holden,  his  parents  moved  further 
west,  and  settled  eight  miles  from  Joliet,  Will  County, 
Illinois,  where  his  father  lost  his  small  fortune  in  the 
wild-cat  speculations  of  that  time.  Three  years  later,  the 
family  went  South,  and  settled  in  the  little  hamlet  of 
Mooresville,  four  miles  from  New  Albany,  Indiana.  In 
two  years  and  a  half  they  moved  north  again ;  and, 
finally,  in  1845,  settled  in  the  south  woods  of  Kent 
County,  Michigan,  twelve  miles  from  the  present  city 
of  Grand  Rapids.  His  parents  are  still  residents  of 
Kent  County, — his  father  being  eighty  and  his  mother 
seventy-seven  years  of  age.  In  the  early  days  of  their 
settlement  in  Michigan,  a  log-cabin,  eighteen  by  twenty 
feet,  contained  all  their  worldly  goods.  They  were  not 
afraid  of  work,  however,  and  their  energy  supplied  them 
with  the  necessities  of  life.  At  that  time,  schools  were 
unknown  in  that  section  of  the  country,  but  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  an  ambitious  boy,  and  spent  his  even¬ 
ings  in  reading  and  study  by  the  light  of  a  pine  knot, 
thrust  between  the  logs  in  the  broad  fire-place.  Two 
years  later,  in  1847,  a  school  was  established  in  the 
newly  organized  township  of  Byron,  within  a  mile  of  his 
home,  in  which  he  soon  outstripped  his  teachers.  He 
then  engaged  in  cutting  logs  and  making  shingles,  at  ten 
dollars  a  month.  In  the  fall  of  1851,  with  his  father’s 
consent,  he  left  home  with  his  scanty  wardrobe  and  a 
few  school  books,  and  went  on  foot  to  Grand  Rapids, 
hoping  to  find  a  place  in  which  he  could  work  for  his 
board  and  attend  school.  He  was  without  money,  and 
knew  but  two  persons  in  the  city.  The  first  day,  he 
was  unsuccessful ;  and,  not  having  means  to  pay  for  a 
night’s  lodging,  returned  to  his  home,  wearied  by  more 
than  twenty-five  miles  of  travel,  but  not  disheartened. 
The  next  day  he  made  another  effort,  and  succeeded  in 
finding  the  situation  he  sought.  Casting  the  unsatis¬ 
factory  years  of  his  childhood  and  youth  behind,  he 
now  struck  out  boldly  upon  his  self-reliant  course.  With 
characteristic  energy,  he  devoted  himself  to  study  and 
work ;  and,  from  this  time  until  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  spent  every  dollar  that  he  could  spare  fi-om  his  bare 
necessities  for  school  tuition  and  books.  In  the  summer 
of  1852,  he  worked  under  instructions  with  a  master 


mechanic,  in  Grand  Rapids,  still  spending  his  leisure  in 
study.  The  next  wnnter  he  attended  the  Union  School, 
under  the  instruction  of  Rev.  James  Ballard;  and,  at 
the  closing  of  the  term, —  on  his  nineteenth  birthday,— 
he  delivered  the  valedictory  address.  Elis  soul  was  in 
the  composition,  and  many  are  yet  living  who  remember 
how  the  young  spealcer  held  his  audience.  He  did  not 
revisit  the  place  until  twenty-one  years  from  that  day, 
when,  at  the  request  of  the  Kent  Scientific  Institute,  he 
delivered  his  celebrated  lecture  descriptive  of  his  fifty 
miles’  travel  through  Mammoth  Cave,  which  was  as 
heartily  applauded  as  his  first  original  address  had  been 
so  many  years  before.  He  mastered  his  trade  in  Grand 
Rapids;  and,  in  May,  1853,  entered  Plainfield  Academy, 
in  Illinois,  and  continued  his  studies  as  long  as  his  money 
lasted,  universally  standing  well  in  his  classes.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year,  with  but  twenty-five  dollars  in  his  pos¬ 
session,  he  entered  the  preparatory  class  of  Knox  Col¬ 
lege,  at  Galesburg,  intending  to  work  his  way  through. 
In  that  endeavor,  he  found  his  skill  as  a  mechanic  a 
ready  assistant.  He  worked  while  his  companions 
played,  and  studied  while  they  slept,  maintaining  him¬ 
self  well  in  all  the  classes,  and  taking  the  lead  in 
rhetorical  exercises  and  debating  clubs.  In  the  fall 
of  1854,  after  watching  with  a  sick  friend  for  ten  nights, 
during  which  time  he  kept  up  his  work  and  study,  he 
was  prostrated  by  the  same  disease, —  typhoid  fever, — • 
and  was  confined  to  the  house  three  months.  This  left 
him  deeply  in  debt  and  unfit  for  study,  yet,  with  re¬ 
turning  health,  he  looked  to  his  trade  for  relief.  In 
December,  1855,  he  returned  to  Michigan,  free  from 
debt,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  gold  in  his 
pocket.  Elis  services  being  immediately  sought  as  a 
teacher,  he  gave  up  with  reluctance  his  partially  com¬ 
pleted  collegiate  course,  believing  he  could  make  his  way 
without  a  college  diploma.  He  commenced  his  first 
school,  near  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  in  January,  1856. 
Ele  was  the  third  teacher  which  had  been  employed  that 
winter, —  the  first  having  been  driven  off  by  the  boys, 
and  the  second  having  failed,  on  examination,  to  obtain 
a  certificate.  Mr.  Holden  soon  won  the  firm  friendship 
of  the  pupils;  and,  in  the  spring,  closed  with  an  exhi¬ 
bition  which  made  the  name  of  the  Lake  Shore  School 
familiar  all  over  the  country.  He  immediately  after 
commenced  the  study  of  law,  which  he  continued  until 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  March  5,  1859.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  he  taught  school  during  the  winter, 
giving  lessons  in  penmanship  in  the  evening,  always 
carrying  a  law-book  under  his  arm  for  study  at  odd  mo¬ 
ments.  In  1856  he  took  a  lively  interest  in  politics ; 
and,  being  then  comparatively  unknown,  often  went  ten 
or  fifteen  miles  on  foot  to  use  his  influence  for  J.  C. 
Fremont.  Mr.  Holden  has  been  on  the  stump  in  Kent 
County  and  Western  Michigan  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  has  justly  acquired  a  wide  reputation  as  a 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


59 


political  organizer  and  speaker.  His  first  public  address 
was  a  temperance  lecture,  delivered  in  1853.  His  second 
was  an  anti-slavery  lecture,  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year.  He  has  adhered  to  the  principles  enunciated  in 
these  first  efforts,  and  has  always  voted  with  the  Repub¬ 
lican  party.  As  a  political  leader,  he  is  always  well 
informed  of  the  plans  of  the  enemy,  while  he  keeps  his 
own  counsel.  As  a  campaign  manager,  his  work  never 
ceases  until  the  ballot-box  closes  on  election  day.  He 
knows  every  point  which  needs  guarding,  and  never 
trusts  to  others  what  it  is  possible  to  do  himself, — by  his 
tireless  enetgy,  utterly  confounding  and  routing  his 
political  opponents.  In  the  campaign  of  1872,  as  Chair¬ 
man  of  the  Kent  County  Republican  Committee,  he 
carried  all  of  the  twenty-four  townships  in  the  county, 
except  one,  which  gave  four  Democratic  majority ;  and 
all  the  wards  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  except  one, 
whose  Democratic  majority  was  only  five.  The  average 
Republican  majority  in  the  county  that  year  was  about 
three  thousand,  while  it  usually  was  not  more  than  one 
thousand.  Being  denied  a  place  in  the  army  in  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion,  he  afterwards  declined  several  commis¬ 
sions,  and  spent  most  of  his  time,  aside  from  his  official 
duties,  working,  with  his  voice,  pen,  and  purse,  to  aid 
the  cause  of  the  Union.  He  was  often  at  the  front, 
where  he  constantly  endeavored  to  alleviate  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  He  was  in  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  on  a  mission  of  that  kind,  when  Lee  sur¬ 
rendered  and  the  war  closed.  He  counted  his  time  and 
money  as  nothing,  if  they  could  be  of  any  service  to  the 
soldier.  Mr.  Holden  was  the  first  person  in  Western 
Michigan,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  to  give  a  private 
soldier  personal  bounty.  This  measure  afterwards  be¬ 
came  very  popular,  and  people  vied  with  each  other  in 
thus  assisting  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  army.  In  May, 
i860,  Mr.  Holden  connected  insurance  with  his  law  busi¬ 
ness,  and  became  so  thoroughly  versed  in  the  business 
of  the  underwriter  that,  in  1866,  he  was  ofiered  a  very 
lucrative  position  as  General  Agent  of  one  of  the  largest 
New  York  insurance  companies,  which  he  accepted,  and 
held  seven  years.  During  that  time,  he  traveled  through 
twenty-four  States  and  two  Territories,  and  took  a  lead¬ 
ing  part  in  many  intricate  adjustments  of  losses  by  fire, 
in  which  not  only  a  thorough  knowledge  of  insurance 
and  law  was  required,  but  often  a  large  amount  of  nerve, 
and  ability  to  read  faces  and  character.  He  frequently 
saved  thousands  of  dollars  for  his  company  and  others, 
by  discovering  fraud  and  punishing  tran.sgressors.  He 
is  now  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  most  successful  insur¬ 
ance  firms  in  Grand  Rapids;  and,  with  his  present 
partner,  Mr.  Sterne  F.  Aspinwall,  a  man  of  rare  busi¬ 
ness  ability,  not  only  cares  for  a  large  number  of  local 
patrons,  but  also  manages  the  business  of  several  com¬ 
panies  for  the  State.  Mr.  Holden’s  name  is  familiar  in 
insurance  circles  in  New  York,  Hartford,  Cincinnati, 


St.  Louis,  Richmond,  Chicago,  Memphis,  and  other 
cities,  of  whose  insurance  corporate  funds  he  has 
handled  more  than  a  million  dollars,  without  having 
given  a  bond,  his  good  name  being  his  capital.  Jan¬ 
uary  I,  1869,  in  company  with  Marcus  W.  Bates,  who 
was  then  his  partner,  he  put  the  Grand  Rapids  Savings 
Bank  in  operation.  It  was  incorporated  April  i,  1870, 
with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  and, 
for  several  years,  Mr.  Holden  was  a  member  of  its  Board 
of  Directors,  and  Mr.  Bates,  its  cashier.  It  is  the  only 
incorporated  savings  bank  in  the  city,  and  was  a  neces¬ 
sity.  In  1862,  two  and  a  half  years  after  he  was  ad¬ 
mitted  to  the  bar,  he  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney 
for  Kent  County,  and  was  re-elected  in  1864.  He  was 
the  youngest  prosecuting  officer  the  county  ever  had, 
and  one  of  the  most  efficient.  The  crimes  which  he 
was  called  upon  to  prosecute  embraced  nearly  all,  from 
murder  downward.  In  trying  these  cases,  he  was  almost 
always  successful,  and  many  incidents  showing  his  firm¬ 
ness  and  vigilance  might  be  cited.  He  was,  for  six 
years  —  from  1870  to  1876  —  Chairman  of  the  Kent 
County  Republican  Committee;  and,  as  such,  a  political 
leader  of  power  and  influence.  He  always  devoted  his 
time,  gratuitously,  to  earnest  efforts  in  behalf  of  the 
cause;  and  secured,  by  persistent,  enthusiastic,  square 
work,  larger  majorities  than  had  before  been  known  in 
his  county.  In  1874  he  was  nominated  for  Secretary  of 
State  by  acclamation.  This  was  an  honor  never  before 
given  in  the  history  of  the  State  to  a  candidate  for  that 
office  the  first  time  he  appeared.  The  convention,  that 
year,  was  composed  of  four  hundred  and  twelve  dele¬ 
gates,  and  was  the  largest  State  Convention  that  had,  up 
to  that  time,  assembled  in  Michigan.  Mr.  Holden’s  ma¬ 
jority  in  the  election  was  eight  thousand  five  hundred  and 
fifty-two.  In  1876  he  was  renominated  by  acclamation  — 
the  convention  numbering  four  hundred  and  fifty-two 
—  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  twenty-five  thousand 
four  hundred  and  eleven,  on  a  total  vote  of  three  hun¬ 
dred  and  eighteen  thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine.  In  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids  alone,  which  was  at 
that  time  controlled  by  a  Democratic  Council,  he  re¬ 
ceived  nearly  seven  hundred  majority ;  and,  in  other 
localities,  was  far  in  the  lead  of  any  of  his  competitors. 
It  is  simply  a  matter  of  history  to  say  that  in  the  elec¬ 
tion  of  1876  his  majority  was  from  one  to  ten  thousand 
more  than  that  of  any  other  candidate  or  Presidential 
Elector.  He  carried  with  him  to  the  office  of  Secretary 
of  State  the  same  earnestness  and  zeal  which  characterize 
him  in  every  thing  he  undertakes.  Pie  overhauled  the 
entire  department,  and  worked  early  and  late  in  utter 
disregard  of  office  hours.  He  systematized;  designed 
new  books  and  methods  of  conducting  the  business,  and 
[uit  every  thing  on  a  new  basis.  As  a  consequence,  he 
was  soon  able  to  perform  all  the  work  of  the  department 
with  less  than  half  the  clerical  help  he  found  there. 


Co 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


When  he  entered,  the  number  of  clerks  on  the  pay-roll 
was  twenty-six.  Mr.  Plolden  commenced  with  eighteen; 
and,  at  the  close  of  his  first  term,  had  only  eleven,  and 
one  of  those  a  boy.  Before  he  had  been  in  the  office 
three  weeks,  he  put  his  clerks  under  rules;  increased 
their  hours  of  labor,  and  required  of  them  promptness, 
full  time,  and  strict  attention  to  duty.  Pie  brought  up 
work  that  was  far  in  arrears,  and  now  has  the  business 
closed  up  at  the  end  of  each  month.  In  all  these  re¬ 
forms  he  has  been  ably  supported  and  assisted  by  his 
newly  appointed  and  painstaking  Deputy,  Mr.  William 
Crosby.  Mr.  Holden  soon  showed  the  world  that  the 
new  Secretary  was  at  the  head  of  the  department  in 
fact  as  well  as  in  name.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
results  of  his  labor  were  noted  and  remarked  upon  by 
societies,  letters,  and  the  press,  from  various  parts  of  the 
State  and  even  from  far  beyond  its  limits.  Among 
othei's  is  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by 
Dr.  L.  P.  Brackett,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  one  of  the 
editors  of  Johnson's  JVeza  Universal  Cyclopedia.  It  refers 
to  the  compilation  of  the  Michigan  census  of  1874,  com¬ 
pleted  in  the  first  year  of  Mr.  Holden’s  first  term.  It 
is  as  follows: 

“Your  own  volume,  the  Census  of  Michigan,  from 
very  careful  examination  and  comparison,  seems  to  me 
remarkably  free  from  errors;  and,  if  you  will  permit 
one  wlio  has  had  twenty-five  years’  constant  experience 
in  statistical  work  to  say  so,  it  would  do  honor  to  any 
of  our  best  statisticians  in  its  arrangement,  accuracy  and 
fullness  of  detail.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing 
it  altogether  the  best-prepared  of  more  than  twenty 
State  censuses  in  my  library.” 

As  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Holden  is,  ex-officio,  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  State  Auditors,  and  has  twice 
been  elected  its  Chairman.  As  there  is  no  appeal  from 
the  decisions  of  this  Board,  which  passes  upon  thousands 
of  accounts,  amounting,  in  the  aggregate,  to  half  a  mil¬ 
lion  dollars  annually,  it  becomes  a  most  important 
tribunal.  Mr.  Holden  is  also  a  member  of  six  other 
State  Boards,  of  two  or  three  of  .which  he  is  Secretary, 
and  has  not  missed  one  regular  or  special  meeting  of 
any  of  them;  his  rule  being  to  make  the  people’s  busi¬ 
ness  his  own,  and  to  attend  to  it  faithfully.  His  own 
experience  in  fighting  for  knowledge  has  enlisted  his 
earnest  sympathies  in  the  cause  of  education.  He  was, 
for  many  years,  a  Trustee  and  Director  of  the  West 
Side  Union  School,  before  the  city  was  consolidated 
into  one  district,  which  change  he  had  always  advocated 
and  assisted  in  bringing  about.  In  the  rapid  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  her  schools  have  kept 
pace  with  her  other  improvements,  and,  to  accomplish 
these  happy  results,  Mr.  Holden  has  contributed  his  full 
share  of  energy  and  skill.  Within  the  past  ten  years, 
he  has  acquired  a  wide  reputation  as  a  writer  and  lec¬ 
turer.  Under  the  tiom  de plume  of  “  Robert  Roland,”  he 
has  written  many  humorous,  stirring,  political  and  patri¬ 


otic  articles,  in  prose  and  verse.  He  is  still  a  hard 
student,  and  never  knows  an  idle  hour.  By  his  habits 
of  constant  work,  he  often  surprises  his  most  intimate 
friends  by  the  amount  of  labor  he  is  able  to  accomplish. 
Besides  being  a  regular  contributor  to  some  of  the  lead¬ 
ing  papers  of  the  country,  he  has  charge  of  the  editorial 
department  of  a  monthly  periodical  which  is  published 
by  his  firm.  He  has  a  fine  library  of  more  than  fifteen 
hundred  volumes  of  choice  books,  among  which  he  spends 
nearly  all  his  leisure  hours.  He  regards  his  library  as 
his  .workshop,  and  his  books  as  his  tools.  Mr.  Holden 
is  an  enthusiastic  Odd-Fellow.  During  his  five  years’ 
membership,  he  has  received  all  the  honors  which  -the 
order  could  bestow.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Odd-Fellows’  Institute,  at  Lansing,  a 
property  worth  from  seventy-five  to  eighty  thousand 
dollars.  He  was  elected,  in  1876,  for  seven  years,  over 
many  older  competitors,  and  was  subsequently  chosen 
a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  Chairman 
of  the  same.  He  is  also  an  officer  in  the  Grand  Lodge, 
and  devotes  a  good  deal  of  time  to  advancing  the  inter¬ 
ests  of  the  order  in  the  jurisdiction  of  Michigan.  He 
was  taught,  when  a  boy,  to  respect  God  and  the  Sab¬ 
bath;  and,  for  many  years,  was  connected  with  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church,  and  was  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
School.  He  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  everything  candid, 
pure,  and  good;  abhors  hypocrisy,  and  has  become  ex¬ 
ceedingly  liberal  in  his  religious  views.  To  do  good  for 
its  own  sake,  to  treat  all  men  as  his  equals,  and  to  live 
for  his  country,  are  his  professions  and  his  practices. 
He  was  married,  August  24,  1858,  in  jNIarion,  Wayne 
County,  New  York,  to  Miss  Melissa  E.  Smith,  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Mary  Smith,  natives  of  Massachusetts; 
they  have  three  children  living,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter,  the  youngest  being  now  eleven  years  old. 
Mr.  Holden  is  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  and  weighs 
about  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds.  He  has  a  fair 
complexion,  brown  hair,  and  a  keen  eye.  His  head  is 
large  and  well  deVeloped,  and  his  chest  broad.  Since 
his  college  sickness,  he  has  known  nothing  of  disease; 
and,  at  the  age  of  forty-three,  notwithstanding  the 
multiplicity  of  his  daily  duties  and  the' amount  of  work 
he  has  accomplished,  he  has  scarcely  a  gray  hair,  and 
readily  passes  for  ten  years  younger.  He  has  very 
pleasant  manners,  and  treats  all  men  alike.  In  all 
public  positions,  Mr.  Holden  has  more  than  justified 
the  expectations  of  his  friends.  As  an  officer,  his  am¬ 
bition  has  been,  by  earnest  thought,  untiring  energy, 
and  ceaseless  labor,  to  accomplish  all  in  his  power. 
He  is  skillful,  prudent,  and  energetic  in  his  business; 
makes  money  readily,  and  has  accumulated  a  comfort¬ 
able  property.  His  hand  and  purse  are  always  open 
to  the  worthy  poor.  His  hold  upon  the  affections 
of  the  people  lies  in  his  never  forgetting  that  he  is 
one  of  them. 


^b^GeoE-Perine.^^"^^ 


4k 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


6i 


OWARD,  HON.  WILLIAM  ALANSON,  Grand 
^  Rapids,  was  born  at  Hinesburg,  Vermont,  April 
8,  1813.  His  father  was  Dan.  Howard,  of  Bridge- 
water,  Massachusetts,  and  his  mother  was  Esther 
Spencer  Howard,  of  Springfield,  Vermont.  She  was  a 
woman  of  great  energy.  Mr.  Howard’s  early  youth  was 
a  struggle  for  the  common  necessities  of  life.  When 
fourteen  years  old  he  went  to  Albion,  New  York,  for 
the  purpose  of  learning  the  cabinet-making  business, 
remaining  there  nearly  five  years.  In  1832  he  went  to 
Wyoming,  New  York,  where  he  entered  the  Wyoming 
Academy.  In  1835  he  entered  Middlebury  College,  in 
Vermont,  whence  he  graduated  in  1839.  John  G.  Saxe 
and  several  other  men  of  distinction  were  members  of 
the  same  class.  Throughout  his  college  course,  Mr. 
Howard  was  obliged  to  support  himself,  and  was  in 
very  delicate  health;  during  the  latter  part  of  the  time, 
he  was  unable  to  sit  up  an  entire  day.  After  gradu¬ 
ating,  he  devoted  sonie  time  to  the  recovery  of  his  health, 
and,  the  following  winter,  taught  a  select  school  in 
Genesee  County,  New  York.  Being  advised  to  try  the 
climate  of  Michigan,  he  removed  to  Detroit,  arriving 
there  on  the  12th  of  April,  1840,  with  only  seventy-two 
dollars  in  his  possession.  He  immediately  obtained  a 
situation  as  mathematical  tutor  in  a  branch  of  the  State 
University.  As  he  was  occupied  only  three  hours  during 
the  day,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  Witherell  &  Buel,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Detroit,  in  1842.  He  at  once  entered  into  a  partner¬ 
ship  with  Alexander 'W.  Buel,  with  whom  he  continued 
until  1848,  when  Mr.  Buel  was  elected  to  Congress. 
Mr.  Howard  practiced  law  under  various  connections 
until  the  year  1854,  when  he  was  elected  member  of 
Congress,  representing  the  First  District  of  Michigan 
for  three  successive  Congressional  terms ;  during  the 
whole  of  this  period  he  served  on  the  Committee  of 
Ways  and  Means.  He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  in  Congress,  and  a  leader  of  the  Republicans  in 
the  Northwest.  During  the  first  term  of  his  service,  he 
was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Kansas  Investigating 
Committee.  The  report  occupies  upwards  of  twelve 
hundred  pages,  and  was  published  by  Congress  in  1856. 
Mr.  Howard  was  subsequently  placed  on  the  Lecompton 
Committee  of  Conference,  the  result  of  which  is  well 
known.  In  i860  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the 
State  Central  Committee,  and  held  the  position  six 
years.  From  1872  to  1S76,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
National  Committee,  and  of  the  Executive  Committee 
of-Thirteen.  In  the  winter  of  1860-61,  he  was  appointed 
one  of  the  Committee  of  Thirty-three,  to  attempt  a  set¬ 
tlement  of  political  difficulties.  During  the  same  winter, 
he  was  chairman  of  what  was  known  as  the  Treason 
Committee,  to  which  was  referred  the  alleged  conspiracy 
to  capture  Washington  and  the  Southern  forts,  with 
other  acts  of  treason.  To  this  committee  was  given  un¬ 


limited  power  to  report,  in  whole  or  in  part,  at  any  time. 
In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Howard  was  appointed,  by  Presi¬ 
dent  Lincoln,  Postmaster  of  Detroit,  retaining  the  of¬ 
fice  for  five  years  and  a  half,  in  which  time  he  aided 
largely  in  the  enlistment  of  soldiers.  He  was  removed 
by  President  Johnson,  and  subsequently  devoted  his 
time  to  personal  business  affairs.  In  the  spring  of  1869, 
he  was  appointed,  by  President  Grant,  Minister  Pleni¬ 
potentiary  and  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  China ;  this  ap¬ 
pointment  was  declined.  In  May,  1869,  he  was  ap¬ 
pointed  Land  Commissioner  of  the  Grand  Rapids  and 
Indiana  Railroad  Company,  and  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids.  Here  he  organized  the  land  office,  which  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  organizations  of  the  kind  in 
the  country.  Mr.  Howard  represented  the  Grand  Rapids 
and  Indiana  Railroad  Company,  the  Continental  Im¬ 
provement  Company,  and  the  Trustees  of  the  bond¬ 
holders,  until  July  ist,  1876,  when  the  companies  were 
forced  to  accept  his  resignation,  tendered  on  account  of 
his  failing  health.  He  still  retains  his  power  to  act  for 
the  Trustees,  representing  them  in  every  respect.  He 
was  President  of  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana  Rail¬ 
road  Company  for  two  years.  In  1S68  he  was  chosen 
delegate  at  large  to  the  Chicago  Convention,  and  was 
appointed  chairman  of  the  Michigan  delegation;  in 
1872,  he  was  a  delegate  at  large  from  the  State  to  the 
Philadelphia  Convention,  again  acting  as  chairman  of 
the  delegation,  and  being  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Resolutions;  in  1876  he  was  delegate  at 
large  to  the  Cincinnati  Convention,  acting  as  chairman 
of  the  Michigan  delegation,  hlr.  Howard  has  been  for 
forty  years  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  On 
the  1st  of  March,  1841,  he  married  Ellen  Jane  Birchard, 
daughter  of  Matthew  W.  Birchard,  of  Detroit.  They 
have  four  children,  the  youngest  of  whom  is  at  present 
in  the  senior  class  of  Yale  College.  The  abilities  of  Mr. 
Howard  have  been  recognized  in  his  public  efforts,  in 
which  he  has  displayed  talents  of  a  high  order.  He 
possesses  force  of  character,  strength  of  intellect,  and 
power  of  logical  presentation  of  ideas. 


'^(^TLLIARD,  CAPTAIN  LENSON,  was  born  in 
Plattsburg,  Clinton  County,  New  York,  Sep- 
tember  7,  1801.  His  2:>arents,  David  and  Rebecca 
Hilliard,  came  from  Danville,  Vermont.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  had  formerly  been  engaged 
in  the  marine  service.  Cajrtain  Hilliard  attended  the 
academy  of  his  native  town,  after  which  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine.  This  he  continued  for  about 
three  years,  under  his  brother-in-law.  Dr.  Patchin.  Dis¬ 
liking  the  jjractice  of  surgery,  however,  he  gave  up  the 
profession,  and  went  to  Canada,  where  he  took  command 
of  one  of  the  barges  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  plying 


63 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


between  Prescott  and  Montreal.  In  tliis  latter  step  he 
was  influenced,  in  a  great  measure,  by  an  account  of  the 
early  life  of  his  father.  He  afterwards  bought  a  farm 
and  settled  at  Prescott;  but,  becoming  restless  in  so 
quiet  a  life,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  purchased  a 
barge,  which  he  ran  successfully  for  about  two  years 
and  a  half.  Pie  then  engaged  as  purser  and  clerk  on 
the  steamboat  “Great  Britain,”  and  held  the  position  for 
about  three  years.  In  1828  he  became  Captain  of  the 
steamboat  “  Brookville.”  In  1829  he  took  charge  of 
“  William  the  Fourth,”  then  the  largest  boat  on  Lake  On¬ 
tario.  Iir  1833,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Ann 
I.ee,  of  the  town  of  William  Henry,  Lower  Canada. 
Her  father,  John  Lee,  was  of  French  extraction,  and  her 
mother,  Catherine,  was  of  the  house  of  Saxe-Weimar, 
Germany.  Captain  Hilliard  continued  to  be  interested 
in  steamboats  until  1852.  During  this  time  he  was  in¬ 
strumental  in  opening  the  St.  Lawrence  River  to  navi¬ 
gation.  He  performed  what  had  been  considered  an 
impossible  feat,  —  that  of  taking  a  steamboat  over  the 
rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  For  this  he  was  pre¬ 
sented  with  a  valuable  gold  watch,  bearing  the  following 
inscription:  “Presented  to  Captain  L.  Plilliard,  by 

John  Hamilton,  to  commemorate  the  safe  arrival  of  the 
steamboat  ‘Ontario,’  at  Montreal,  from  Prescott,  United 
States;  .having  made  the  first  descent  by  steam  over  the 
rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  August  19,  1840.”  For  a 
number  of  years,  Captain  Hilliard  was  engaged  in  the 
forwarding  business,  having  in  charge  a  large  number 
of  vessels,  and  living  in  Montreal  and  Toronto.  In  1854 
he  removed  with  his  family  to  Michigan.  He  made  a 
short  stay  at  Battle  Creek,  engaging'  in  the  flour  business 
in  a  limited  way.  Pie  then  went  to  Kalamazoo;  and,  in 
company  with  others,  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
at  Dorr,  Allegan  County;  but,  in  the  financial  crash 
of  1857,  he  lost  nearly  all  he  had.  In  February,  1861, 
he  purchased  a  small  piece  of  land  and  a  saw-mill  in  the 
town  of  Hopkins,  and  worked  earnestly  to  retrieve  his 
fortune.  He  made  a  second  purchase  of  land, —about 
nine  hundred  acres, — upon  which  he  realized  a  net 
profit  of  thirty  thousand  dollars.  He  still  continued  to 
manufacture  lumber,  and  to  deal  in  real  estate  success¬ 
fully,  until  the  time  of  his  death,  August  2,  1871.  He 
left  an  unencumbered  estate  of  about  one  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  dollars.  Captain  Plilliard  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church  for  the  last  thirty-seven  years 
of  his  life;  he  was  a  faithful  attendant  and  a  liberal  con¬ 
tributor.  He  was  a  Whig,  and  became  a  Republican  upon 
the  organization  of  that  party,  in  1854.  Four  of  his  chil¬ 
dren  served  in  the  civil  war:  William  IP.,  as  bugler  in  a 
company  in  the  3d  Michigan  Cavalry,  and  was  afterward 
placed  in  the  regimental  band.  He  was  mustered  out 
of  service,  with  the  rest  of  his  regiment,  at  San  Antonio, 
Texas.  David  enlisted  in  the  ist  Michigan  Engineers, 
under  Colonel  Innes,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  spent  about 


one  year  in  that  department  of  the  service.  Eugene, 
enlisted  March  14,  1863,  in  the  9th  Michigan  Cavalry. 
He  served  over  three  years,  under  command  of  General 
George  Acker,  and  was  with  General  Sherman  in  his 
memorable  march  to  the  sea.  He  received  honorable 
discharge  July  21,  1865.  The  fourth  son,  Charles  Levi, 
enlisted  in  an  Illinois  regiment,  and  continued  in  the 
service  during  the  entire  campaign.  Captain  Hilliard 
was  strong  in  his  personal  friendships,  and  genial  to  all. 


^ARLAN,  BENJAMIN  A.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Law¬ 
yer  and  ex-Judge  of  Probate  for  Kent  County, 
^  was  born  at  Fallston,  Harford  County,  Mary¬ 
land,  April  16,  1837.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of 
William  A.  and  Sarah  Harlan,  now  living  in  Grand 
Rapids,  who  are  birthright  members  of  the  religious 
.Society  of  Friends.  The  opportunities  for  obtaining  an 
education  in  Maryland  in  the  days  of  slavery  were  very 
limited,  and  Benjamin  A.  Harlan  received  no  instruction 
outside  of  his  father’s  house,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  terms  in  private  schools.  However,  he  managed, 
by  the  aid  of  the  Friends’  Meeting-house  Library,  and 
the  newspapers,  to  acquire  some  considei'able  knowledge. 
In  1853  he  moved,  with  his  father’s  family,  to  Wayne 
County,  Michigan,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brooms  and  axe- 
handles.  He  also  attended  the  district  schools  a  part 
of  two  winters.  From  October,  1857,  to  July,  1858,  he 
filled  the  position  of  Assistant- Postmaster  at  Farming- 
ton,  Oakland  County ;  when,  through  the  friendship  of 
Rev.  H.  L.  Playward,  pastor  of  the  Universalist  Soci¬ 
ety  at  Grand  Rapids,  he  obtained  a  situation  as  clerk 
and  student  in  the  office  of  Holmes  &  Robinson,  attor¬ 
neys-at-law.  ■  Plere  he  diligently  applied  himself  to  the 
study  of  law  until  June  5,  i860,  when  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  as  an  attorney.  January  i,  1861,  he  was 
appointed  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds,  by  John  R.  Stew¬ 
art,  Register,  and  held  the  position  ten  years.  In  the 
meantime,  in  April,  1862,  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  of  the  Third  Ward  of  Grand  Rapids;  and,  before 
his  term  of  office  expired,  in  November,  1864,  was 
elected  Judge  of  Probate  for  Kent  County.  He  was 
twice  re-elected  to  that  position,  by  increased  majorities, 
over  strong  competitors,  and  held  it  until  January  I, 
1877,  when  he  returned  to  the  full  practice  of  his 
profession.  His  perfect  rectitude  and  gentlemanly  de¬ 
portment,  accompanied  by  his  physical  graces  and  strong 
intellect,  command  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  wdio 
come  within  the  circle  of  his  acquaintance.  In  his 
dealings,  he  is  upright,  energetic,  and  enterprising, — 
an  example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  determined 
industry,  and  integrity  of  character.  Judge  Harlan  was 
married,  September  13,  i860,  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Blakeslee. 
They  have  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


63 


.fOWARD,  HON.  MANLY  D.,  of  Holland  City, 
Michigan,  was  born  August  31,  1817,  in  West 
Win  held,  Herkimer  County,  New  York.  His 
ancestors  were  Puritans,  and  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Boston,  Massachusetts.  His  father,  Earl 
Douglas  Howard,  was  a  farmer  in  one  of  the  southern 
counties  of  Vermont,  and  emigrated  to  the  Mohawk  Val¬ 
ley  in  1814.  His  mother,  Elizabeth  Barlow,  belonged  to 
the  Barlow  family  of  New  England.  Earl  Douglas 
Howard  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  died  in  1818.  His 
wife,  left  a  widow  with  seven  children,  moved  hrst  to 
New  Hartford,  Oneida  County,  New  York;  then  to 
Rochester;  and,  hnally,  toFredonia,  Chautauqua  County. 
She  died  in  1852,  in  Alleghany  County,  Pennsylvania. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  early  education  in 
Fredonia  Academy,  an  institution  supported  by  State 
funds  and  tuition  fees.  In  the  spring  of  1836,  Mr.  Ploward 
moved  to  Detroit,  under  the  care  of  Doctor  Douglas 
Houghton,  State  Geologist,  by  whom  he  was  placed  in 
the  law  office  of  Walker  &  Douglass.  Soon  after,  he  was 
offered  a  situation  in  a  shipping  and  commission  house  in 
'Detroit.  In  1838  he  was  enrolled  in  the  1st  Regiment 
of  State  Militia,  and,  for  a  week,  patrolled  the  city  with 
the  troops,  under  the  direction  of  the  Mayor,  in  order  to 
protect  the  citizens  and  property  from  what  was  termed 
the  “patriotic  war.”  About  this  time  he  became  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  celebrated  military  organization  known  as  the 
“Brady  Guards.”  From  this  duty  he  was  soon  relieved, 
by  being  appointed  Deputy  United  States  Marshal  of 
Michigan.  This  office  he  held  for  nearly  two  years. 
Through  the  position  of  Deputy  Marshal,  he  became 
acquainted  with  nearly  all  the  prominent  political  men  of 
the  State,  being  thrown  into  social  intercourse  with  the 
late  Governor  Stevens  T.  Mason,  from  whom  he  imbibed 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  Mr.  Howard 
was  married,  July  23,  1846,  to  Sarah  Stevens,  eldest 
daughter  of  the  late  John  Jex  Bard  well,  of  Suffolk 
County,  England,  and  a  niece  of  the  late  Sir  John 
Thwaites,  for  many  years  Chairman  of  the  London 
Metropolitan  Board  of  Public  Works.  After  five  years — 
from  1842  to  1847  —  spent  as  a  member  of  a  prominent 
produce  and  commission  house  at  Detroit,  Mr.  Ploward 
removed  to  Ann  Arbor.  Here  he  remained  seven  years, 
spending  most  of  the  time  in  reading  law  in  the  office 
of  the  late  Oliver  W.  Moore,  of  that  city.  At  that  time 
he  took  great  interest  in  political  affairs.  In  1854,  hii^ 
eye-sight  having  partially  failed,  he  made  arrangements  to 
engage  in  the  lumber  business,  in  and  near  Holland,  where 
he  owned  considerable  pine  and  other  land.  In  1862  he 
was  authorized  by  the  Government  to  raise  a  company 
of  men,  who,  when  enlisted,  constituted  Company  I, 
25th  Michigan  Infantry.  This  company  was  composed, 
largely,  of  residents  of  Holland.  Poor  health  and  busi¬ 
ness  engagements  prevented  his  leading  them  to  service. 
Mr.  Howard  was  elected,  as  a  War  Democrat,  to  the 


positions  of  Acting  Supervisor,  member  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  and,  in  1862,  to  the  Lower  House  in  the 
State  Legislature,  to  which  he  was  re-elected  in  1864. 
While  filling  this  position,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Committee  on  State  Affairs,  Harbors,  etc.,  and  on  sev¬ 
eral  of  the  important  special  committees  of  the  House. 
On  the  final  passage,  by  the  State  legislative  body  of 
which  he  was  a  member,  of  the  Fifteenth  Constitutional 
Amendment,  he  demanded  a  division  of  the  question, 
and  voted  for  the  abolition  of  slavery,  in  opposition 
to  his  Democratic  colleagues,  but  against  giving  Con¬ 
gress  authority  to  legislate  on  the  same.  For  the  first 
vote  he  was  censured  by  a  few  radical  Democrats.  He 
made  a  successful  appeal  to  the  House,  just  before  its 
final  session,  to  sustain  the  State  institutions  —  particu¬ 
larly  the  Univei'sity  and  Agricultural  College  —  by  voting 
them  the  usual  annual  appropriations.  Mr.  Howard  was 
elected  a  delegate  to  the  Baltimore  Convention  in  1872, 
as  he  had  been  to  that  at  Chicago  in  1864,  but  was  pre¬ 
vented,  by  ill-health,  from  attending.  He  heartily 
indorsed  the  nomination  of  Horace  Greeley.  While  in 
the  Legislature,  he  succeeded  in  perfecting  the  title  to  a 
grant  of  about  ten  thousand  acres  of  land,  in  aid  of 
Black  Harbor  improvements;  and  was,  for  many  years. 
Secretary  of  the  Plarbor  Board,  under  whose  direction 
the  improvements  were  accomplished.  In  1867  he 
secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  for  a  railroad  from  Grand 
Haven,  through  the  village  of  Holland,  to  Buffalo,  on 
the  line  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad.  This  road 
has  been  successfully  built,  and  is  now  known  as  the 
Chicago  and  Michigan  Lake  Shore  Railroad.  He  aided 
in  the  construction  of  the  Allegan  and  Holland,  the 
Holland  and  Grand  Haven,  and  the  Grand  Haven  and 
Muskegon  Railroads,  and  was  a  Director  of  the  first 
named  company.  He  also  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Holland  Railroad  Company, 
and  became  one  of  its  Directors.  In  1843  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Odd-Fellows,  in  Lodge  No.  2,  at  Detroit. 
In  1845  helped  to  organize  Washtenaw  Lodge,  No.  9. 
He  joined  the  Masonic  Fraternity  in  1865.  Being  for 
some  time  the  only  professional  man  except  a  physi¬ 
cian,  within  twenty  miles  of  Holland,  Mr.  Howard’s 
knowledge  of  the  law  was  frequently  called  into  requisi¬ 
tion.  For  many  years  he  practiced  gratuitously ;  but,  as 
time  wore  on,  a  certain  amount  of  practice  became  a 
necessity,  and,  in  1867,  he  closed  his  mills  and  lumber 
business,  and  opened  a  law  office,  in  connection  with  his 
land  collections  and  insurance  business,  in  which  he  had 
been  engaged,  to  some  extent,  since  1856.  He  has 
always  attended  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church ;  and, 
while  in  Ann  Arbor,  was  Treasurer  of  St.  Andrew’s 
Episcopal  Society.  He  helped  to  organize  Grace  Church, 
in  Plolland,  and,  for  many  years,  was  its  Senior  Warden. 
His  success  in  business  has  been  satisfactory,  notwith¬ 
standing  a  number  of  reverses  at  the  outset.  In  all  his 


64 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


engagements,  he  has  been  upright,  energetic,  and  pru¬ 
dent.  He  is  a  constant  attendant  upon  all  the  political 
conventions  of  his  party,  and  is  familiar  with  the  political 
history  of  the  State  since  1840.  Though  he  has  con¬ 
tinued,  during  the  last  fifteen  years,  to  refuse  all  public 
preferment,  his  influence  is  felt,  and  his  name  is  well 
known  to  most  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  State,  par¬ 
ticularly  in  the  western  and  central  counties. 

- >o«  ■  ■ 

*^f]i;OYT,  HIRAM  J.,  of  Muskegon,  Michigan,  is  the 
son  of  Dr.  James  M.  and  Margaret  Hoyt,  and 
-^i^y.-Awas  born  March  23,  1843,  in  Commerce,  Oak- 
V'  land  County,  Michigan.  He  received  his  edu¬ 
cation  at  the  Aurora  Academy,  New  York.  After 
leaving  school,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine;  but, 
having  a  dislike  for  the  practice  of  the  profession,  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  Hon.  M.  E.  Crofoot,  of  Pontiac, 
Michigan,  as  a  student.  After  three  years,  he  removed, 
in  1867,  to  Muskegon,  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Smith,  Nevins  &  Irwin,  and  is 
rapidly  gaining  popularity  in  his  profession.  Mr.  Hoyt 
is  a  Democrat;  and,  as  such,  is  candid  and  free  from 
bitterness.  He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  all  public 
enterprises  tending  to  promote  the  growth  and  wealth 
of  his  city.  Possessed  of  indomitable  energy,  of  un¬ 
swerving  integrity,  exemplary  in  morals,  and  genial  in 
all  social  relations,  he  wins  the  high  regard  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  He  married  Ada  E.  Smith,  of  Com¬ 
merce,  Michigan,  February  26,  1867. 


-O 


^.UBBARD,  GEORGE  E.,  Hardware  Merchant, 
Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Hamilton, 
Madison  County,  New  York,  May  3,  1833.  His 
parents,  Alonzo  and  Elvira  P.  Hubbard,  were 
of  English  descent.  They  removed  to  Detroit,  Michigan, 
when  Mr.  Hubbard  was  a  child.  He  was  sent  to  a  town 
in  the  Western  Reserve  of  Ohio,  to  reside  with  his 
grandparents,  who  sent  him  to  the  district  school  for 
six  years,  and  to  a  select  school  for  three  years.  Plis 
father  removing  to  Cleveland  in  1847,  he  became  a  stu¬ 
dent  in  the  Cleveland  High  School,  where  he  remained 
until  he  graduated.  He  soon  after  entered,  in  the  capac¬ 
ity  of  clerk,  the  hardware  store  of  Parish  &  Knight,  of 
Cleveland ;  but,  resolving  to  acquire,  a  more  practical 
knowledge  of  the  business,  he  became  the  apprentice 
of  W.  L.  Marvin.  He  served  the  term  of  his  appren¬ 
ticeship  with  such  satisfaction  that,  during  the  last  six 
months,  he  had  the  entire  charge  of  his  employer’s  shop. 
In  1854  he  sought  employment  in  Chicago,  making 
the  trip  from  Cleveland  by  water.  He  worked  at  his 


trade  until  the  spring  of  1856,  when  he  engaged,  as 
head  clerk,  in  the  hardware  establishment  of  Christopher 
Metz,  and  remained  until  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  He 
then  removed  to  Grand  Plaven,  Michigan,  and  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  tin,  copper,  and  iron  wares  with 
much  success.  At  the  same  time  he  was  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business.  In  i860  Mr.  Elubbard  was  appointed 
the  first  agent  of  the  American  Express  Company,  located 
west  of  Grand  Rapids.  In  1870  he  began,  and  in  1871 
finished,  the  erection  of  the  first  three-story  brick  house 
in  Grand  Haven.  This  he  has  since  occupied  as  a  hard¬ 
ware  store.  The  completion  and  occupation  of  this 
building  was  the  occasion  of  a  celebration,  and  the 
gathering  of  a  large  party  of  friends,  numbering  nearly 
two  thousand,  who  came  from  various  parts  of  Michigan, 
Illinois,  Ohio,  and  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Elubbard  was  elected 
Mayor  of  Grand  Haven,  in  1872,  and  was  re-elected  for 
the  following  term.  With  this  exception,  he  has  declined 
affice.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Grand  Elaven.  He  has  encouraged  every 
enterprise  calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  city. 
In  business  records,  Mr.  Hubbard  ranks  as  one  of  the 
leading  hardware  merchants  of  Western  Michigan.  In 
the  spring  of  1856,  he  married  Miss  Chri-stina  A.  Land- 
reth,  daughter  of  John  Landreth,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 


HUDSON,  JOSEPH  LOWTHIAN,  of  Ionia,  Mich¬ 
igan,  was  born  in  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  October 
''  17,  1846.  His  parents,  Richard  and  Elizabeth 
'S  (Lowthian)  Hudson,  emigrated  to  America  in 
1855.  They  spent  five  years  in  Hamilton,  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  then  removed  to  Michigan.  They  lived 
for  a  short  time  at  Grand  Rapids  and  at  Pontiac,  and 
finally  settled  at  Ionia,  where  Mr.  liudson  entered  into 
partnership  with  C.  R.  Mabley,  now  of  Detroit.  Joseph 
L.  Hudson  attended  school  in  England,  Canada,  and 
Grand  Rapids.  On  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Pon¬ 
tiac,  he  entered  the  clothing-store  of  C.  R.  Mabley,  as 
errand-boy.  He  spent  five  years  in  Mr.  Mabley’s  em¬ 
ploy,  having  been  engaged  two  years  as  book-keeper.  In 
1866,  in  his  twentieth  year,  he  purchased  Mr.  Mabley’s 
interest  in  the  branch  store  at  Ionia,  and  formed 
^  partnership  with  his  father,  under  the  name  of  R. 
Hudson  &  Son.  This  firm  is  now  a  leading  one  in 
Ionia.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  which  occurred  in 
1873,  he  carried  on  the  business  in  company  with  his 
brothers  and  sisters  for  three  years.  He  has  now  a 
branch  store  at  Stanton.  He  was  also  associated  with 
H.  F.  Bush  &  Co.,  and,  afterwards,  with  Taylor,  Hudson 
&  Co.,  from  1868  to  1876,  in  the  stave  business.  From 
1869  to  1875  interested  in  the  firm  which  carried 

on  the  “Novelty  Flour  Mills.”  He  has  also  invested 


66 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


• 

collection  of  the  nests  and  eggs  of  Michigan  birds, 
which  he  recently  presented  to  the  Kent  Scientific  Insti¬ 
tute,  of  Grand  Rapids.  Among  scientific  men,  Mr. 
Hughes  is  known  as  the  ornithologist  of  Michigan. 
Among  the  interesting  particulars  of  his  active  profes¬ 
sional  life,  we  may  state  that  in  each  of  the  last  twelve 
capital  cases  in  which  Mr.  Hughes  has  been  counsel  for 
the  defense,  he  has  been  successful.  Some  of  those  cases 
are  among  the  most  noteworthy  which  have  occurred  in 
the  Northwestern  States;  among  which  may  be  men¬ 
tioned  that  of  George  Vanderpool,  of  Manistee,  Michi¬ 
gan,  who  was  acquitted  on  the  third  trial.  In  this  case, 
on  the  second  trial,  at  Kalamazoo,  Mr.  Hughes’  argument 
was  perhaps  the  finest  he  ever  made;  its  logical  arrange¬ 
ment  and  forcible  presentation  of  facts  making  it,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  bar,  a  masterpiece.  It  is  not,  however, 
as  a  criminal  lawyer  that  his  talents  find  single  expres¬ 
sion.  He  prefers  cases  of  a  civil  character,  of  which  he 
has  successfully  tried  a  large  number.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  the  Duncan  will  case,  at  Marshall,  and  the 
Ward  will  case,  at  Detroit.  In  these,  as  in  nearly  all  of 
the  most  important  suits  in  which  he  has  been  engaged, 
Mr.  Hughes  has  been  confronted  by  able  counsel,  and 
none  award  him  higher  rank  in  his  profession  than 
those  with  whom  he  has  contended.  It  is  but  justice 
to  Mr.  Hughes  to  say,  in  conclusion,  that  he  is  entitled 
to  rank  among  the  ablest  of  lawyers.  His  general 
culture  is  broad,  while  his  legal  learning  is  not  confined 
to  his  knowledge  of  mere  reported  cases,  but  embraces 
as  well  the  elements  and  principles  upon  which  the 
science  of  law  is  based.  He  speaks  with  grace  and 
dignity,  evincing  thought  and  reflection.  His  advocacy 
is  impressive,  his  language  incisive,  his  sentences  com¬ 
plete,  his  eloquence  simple  but  effective,  his  conclusions 
logical.  His  grasp  of  the  points  of  a  case  is  complete 
and  vigorous,  and  he  exerts  his  utmost  power  to  per¬ 
suade  and  convince  the  court,  giving  effectiveness  to  his 
argument  by  his  masterly  expression.  Perfectly  under¬ 
standing  the  value  of  collected  ideas,  discipline,  expres¬ 
sion,  and  art  in  argument,  his  method  is  direct,  and  his 
every  sentence  both  graces  and  advances  the  cause  he 
advocates. 

- .<>« - 


^'.UMPHREY,  SEYMOUR  B.,  Agent  for  the  North¬ 
western  Transportation  Company  of  Grand  Plaven, 
Michigan,  was  born  in  Oconomowoc,  Waukesha 
County,  Wisconsin,  May  31,  1848.  He  is  the 
son  of  Samuel  B.  and  Annie  M.  (White)  Humphrey. 
His  father  went  to  Oconomowoc  in  the  year  1842,  where 
he  bought  lands,  and  helped  largely  in  building  up  the 
town.  lie  erected  a  large  flour-mill,  and  engaged  in 
the  milling  business  until  his  removal  to  Milwaukee,  in 
1850,  where  he  followed  the  same  occupation  for  twenty- 
one  years,  and  retired  in  1871.  His  son,  Seymour,  was 


educated  at  Milwaukee,  taking  an  academic  course, 
which  he  completed  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He  then 
engaged  in  the  flour-mill  with  his  father,  until  1871. 
At  that  time,  the  Engelman  Transportation  Company 
secured  his  services  as  book-keeper,  and,  in  1873, 
moved  to  Grand  Haven,  as  agent  of  the  said  .^mpany 
in  that  city.  In  1875  the  interests  of  the  Engelman 
Transportation  Company  were  purchased  by  the  North¬ 
western  Transportation  Company,  of  Milwaukee.  Mr, 
Humphrey  still  retains  his  position  as  their  accountant, 
and  has  transacted  the  business  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  employers.  Mr.  Hum¬ 
phrey  takes  a  great  interest  in  athletic  sports.  Rowing  is 
one  of  his  favorite  amusements ;  he  is  Secretary  and  Treas¬ 
urer  of  the  Grand  Plaven  and  Spring  Lake  Rowing  Com¬ 
pany.  Mr.  Humphrey  is  genial  in  temperament,  energetic 
in  business,  and  honorable  in  all  his  transactions.  The 
record  of  his  youth  furnishes  a  solid  foundation  on  which 
to  build  up  his  fame  in  the  future. 


I^GHNSON,  GEORGE  KINNEY,  M.  D.,  Grand 
Rapids,  was  born  in  Cayuga  County,  New  York, 
on  the  17th  of  January,  1822.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  that  State.  Pie  came  to  Michigan 
with  them  in  1836;  and,  for  three  years,  lived  on  a 
farm,  in  Livingston  County,  and  entered  heartily  into 
the  work  of  building  a  home  in  the  then  new  country. 
During  this  time,  he  availed  himself  of  every  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  self-improvement,  reading  with  the  greatest 
avidity  every  book  that  chanced  to  fall  in  his  way.  At 
the  close  of  his  terra  of  service  on  the  farm,  he  went  to 
McNeal’s  Academy  —  as  it  was  then  designated  —  at  Ann 
Arbor,  which  he  attended  two  years.  After  this,  he 
taught  school  for  some  time,  in  order  to  obtain  means 
to  pursue  his  studies;  and  subsequently,  he  attended,  for 
one  year,  a  classical  school  at  Northville.  Plis  profes¬ 
sional  studies  were  prosecuted  in  the  offices  of  Dr. 
Curtis,  of  Kensington,  and  Dr.  Ira  Bingham,  of  Brighton, 
Michigan,  and  lastly,  with  Prof.  John  Delamater,  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  graduated  at  the  Cleveland 
Medical  College  in  the  spring  of  1846,  and  soon  after¬ 
ward  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Pontiac. 
Zeal  and  industry  brought  their  usual  reward,  and  he 
soon  found  abundant  professional  occupation.  But  those 
years  spent  at  Pontiac  were  years  of  hard,  unremitting 
toil,  and  his  naturally  weak  constitution  sunk  under  it. 
His  health  at  last  required  a  change  of  residence,  and, 
for  a  time,  a  partial  change  of  occupation.  In  1852  Dr. 
Johnson  removed  to  Detroit,  where  he  resided  two 
years,  and  engaged  less  laboriously  in  practice.  In  1854 
he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids;  but,  being  then  in  very 
feeble  health,  he  denied  himself  occupation  to  any  ex¬ 
tent  in  his  profession;  and,  so  far  as  his  health  would 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


67 


permit,  engaged  in  railroad  and  other  interests.  He 
was,  at  this  time,  identified  with  the  measures  and  means 
which  combined  to  build  the  Detroit  and  Milwaukee 
Railroad.  In  1857  he  visited  England,  where  he  re¬ 
mained  several  months,  studying  carefully  the  institutions 
of  that  kingdom;  the  practical  working  of  its  govern¬ 
ment;  the  character  of  its  people,  and  their  social 
condition;  the  places  and  objects  of  historical  interest; 
the  hospitals  and  schools  of  medicine,  in  which  were 
seen  and  heard  some  of  the  leading  medical  men  of  the 
century, — all  engaged  his  attention,  and  excited  his 
interest.  Meanwhile,  these  agreeable  studies  gradually 
improved  his  physical  condition;  and,  in  i860,  his  health 
having  been  restored,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Grand  Rapids.  In  1861,  moved  by  that 
impulse  which  swayed  the  people  of  the  Western  States, 
in  common  with  those  of  the  North  and  East,  after  the 
first  Bull  Run  disaster,  he  entered  the  military  service ; 
and,  in  September,  of  that  year,  he  went  out  as  Surgeon 
of  the  1st  Michigan  Cavalry.  During  the  following  win¬ 
ter,  he  was  with  his  regiment  on  the  Potomac,  and  near 
Frederick  City,  Maryland.  In  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1862,  that  regiment  took  an  active  part  in  the  cam¬ 
paign  of  General  Banks  in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah. 
Dr.  Johnson  was  present  at  the  first  battle  of  Win¬ 
chester,  in  March,  1862,  and  witnessed  the  complete 
defeat  of  the  enemy  under  Stonewall  Jackson.  On  that 
occasion,  he  was  almost  the  only  Union  surgeon  on  the 
field.  In  truth,  at  that  early  period  of  the  war,  the 
medical  department  of  the  army  was  imperfectly  organ¬ 
ized,  and  not  fully  adequate  to  the  duties  required. 
Subsequently,  however,  all  this  was  changed,  and  the 
service  became  very  efficient.  At  the  close  of  Gen¬ 
eral  Banks’  campaign.  Dr.  Johnson’s  regiment  was 
ordered  to  report  for  duty  with  the  command  of  General 
Pope,  who  then  began  to  organize  those  movements 
from  which  so  much  was  hoped,  but  so  little  realized. 
Here  the  doctor  was  assigned  duty,  as  Surgeon  of 
Brigade,  on  the  staff  of  General  John  Buford,  who  com¬ 
manded  the  cavalry  of  General  Pope’s  army.  In  that 
capacity,  he  served  throughout  the  Pope  campaign  in 
Virginia,  in  1862.  The  cavalry  service,  we  may  here 
remark,  was,  during  that  campaign,  one  of  constant 
activity,  excitement,  and  danger ;  and  the  campaign 
culminated  in  the  defeat  of  the  Union  forces,  at  second 
Bull  Run,  August  30,  1862.  On  that  field.  Dr.  Johnson 
experienced  the  grief  of  seeing  his  beloved  and  life¬ 
long  friend.  Colonel  T.  F.  Brodhead,  of  the  ist  Michigan 
Cavalry,  fall  mortally  wounded.  By  the  terms  of  an  act, 
passed  in  February,  1863,  Congress  created  a  special 
corps  of  eight  Medical  Inspectors,  of, whom  four  were 
to  be  taken  from  the  I'egular  army,  and  four  from  the 
volunteer  service.  Those  inspectors  were  to  have  the 
rank  of  Ideutenant-Colonel,  which  was  then  the  highest 
rank  in  the  medical  service,  except  that  of  its  head^  the 


Surgeon-General.  Dr.  Johnson’s  record  was  so  satis¬ 
factory  that  he  was  at  once  selected  as  one  of  the  four 
inspectors  taken  from  the  volunteer  forces,  and  commis¬ 
sioned,  by  President  Lincoln,  accordingly.  He  was 
immediately  assigned  to  duty,  as  Medical  Inspector  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  That  army  was  then  in 
winter-quarters,  on  the  lower  Rappahannock,  and  cov¬ 
ered  a  large  area  of  country.  It  was  the  duty  of  the 
Inspector  to  make  monthly  inspections  of  the  medical 
service  and  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  entire  army, 
and  to  render  written  reports  of  these  to  the  commander 
in  the  field,  and,  also,  to  the  Surgeon-General,  at  Wash¬ 
ington.  Thus  the  labor  and  responsibility  devolving 
upon  this  office  were  very  great.  In  the  spring  of  1863, 
Drj  Johnson  accompanied  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
in  the  campaign  of  Chancellorsville.  He  was  on  duty 
during  the  campaign,  and  also  during  the  subsequent 
toilsome  marches  and  maneuvers  which  consumed  the 
early  summer  months.  At  length,  the  army  reached 
Gettysburg,  and  there  met  the  Confederate  troops,  under 
General  Lee.  Dr.  Johnson  witnessed  the  sanguinary 
struggles  of  the  2d  and  3d  of  July,  and  had  the  satis¬ 
faction  of  seeing  the  decisive  repulse  of  the  enemy;  but 
the  amount  of  wmrk  that  devolved  upon  the  medical 
officers,  as  the  result  of  these  engagements,  was  appall¬ 
ing.  He  took  his  share  of  this  work,  and  remained  on 
the  field  several  days  after  the  battles;  and,  having  di.s* 
charged  that  duty,  rejoined  the  army  on  its  return 
march  into  Virginia.  Later  in  the  season,  he  was,  at 
his  own  request,  relieved  from  duty  in  the  field,  and 
appointed  Medical  Inspector  of  the  Middle  Military 
Department,  and  of  the  Department  of  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina.  His  duty  here  was  to  inspect  the  gen¬ 
eral  field  and  post  hospitals,  from  Baltimore  to  Fortress 
Monroe;  and  from  the  latter  to  Newbern,  North  Caro¬ 
lina,  in  one  direction,  and  to  Cumberland,  Maryland,  and 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  in  the  other.  While  thus  en¬ 
gaged,  at  the  large  general  hospital  at  Frederick  City, 
Maryland,  in  June,  1864,  he  accidentally  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  From  their  lines,  he  witnessed  a  part 
of  the  battle  of  Monocacy;  at  its  close,  he  w^as  permitted 
to  go  upon  the  field,  and  attend  to  the  Union  wounded 
who  had  been  left  uncared  for;  the  Confederate  officers 
having,  for  this  purpose,  furnished  him  with  two  ambu¬ 
lances.  He  was  kept  busy  with  the  affairs  of  the 
general  hospitals  of  his  departments  until  October,  1865. 
On  the  first  of  that  month,  he  resigned  his  commission ; 
and,  soon  after,  returned  to  his  home,  where  he  resumed 
his  practice  as  surgeon  and  physician.  In  his  profes¬ 
sion,  he  is  studious  and  progressive.  He  is  a  contributor 
to  the  medical  journals,  and  has  written  and  published 
several  pamphlets  on  medical  topics.  Hie  leading  med¬ 
ical  journals,  and  the  most  recent  medical  works,  are 
to  be  found  on  his  study  table  or  in  his  library.  He 
aims  to  keep  himself  informed  of  all  discoveries  and 


68 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


improvements,  and  to  avail  himself  of  them  in  his  prac¬ 
tice.  Yet  he  is  careful  and  conservative,  and  does  not 
abandon  old  and  well-tried  remedies  and  methods  until 
the  superiority  of  new  ones  is  clearly  established.  Dr. 
Johnson  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  but  is  not  a  poli¬ 
tician.  He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  public  affairs;  and, 
while  he  dislikes  office-seeking  and  office-seekers,  he 
respects  that  sentiment  of  patriotism  which  leads  one  to 
take  an  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  country.  In  1859 
he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  served  one 
term,  but  declined  a  re-election,  and  has  since  steadily 
refused  nomination  for  any  political  office.  On  the  23d 
of  September,  1847,  Dr.  Johnson  married  Miss  Adeline 
M.,  daughter  of  the  late  N.  P.  Stewart,  Esq.,  of  Detroit, 
Michigan.  Two  of  their  children  —  G.  Stewart  John¬ 
son,  a  surveyor  and  engineer,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Kendall, 
widow  of  the  late  George  F.  Kendall  —  are  now  living. 
Dr.  Johnson  is  a  gentleman  of  attractive  presence,  calm 
and  courteous  under  all  circumstances,  and  fond  of  soci¬ 
ety;  although,  by  the  imperative  calls  of  a  large  practice, 
he  is  much  debarred  from  its  enjoyment.  His  house  is 
the  scene  of  an  elegant  hospitality,  which  is  much  en¬ 
hanced  to  his  guests  by  his  presence.  The  high  esteem 
in  which  the  community  hold  him,  and  his  remarkable 
popularity  with  all  classes,  are  manifested  in  the  numer¬ 
ous  offers  made  to  him  of  official  positions,  which  the 
duties  of  his  profession  compel  him  to  decline.  His 
literary  culture  and  powers  of  logical  reasoning  are 
particularly  evident  in  “The  State  and  Its  Relations 
to  Medical  Education,”  an  address  recently  published, 
which  is  destined  to  work  great  changes  in  the  educa¬ 
tional  system  of  Michigan.  In  brief,  the  Doctor  is  a 
scholar.  As  a  surgeon  and  physician,  he  adds  large 
experience  to  originally  thorough,  and  steadily  main¬ 
tained,  study  of  theory  ;  while,  as  a  citizen,  he  fulfills 
every  public  duty  incumbent  on  him,  and  gives  his  best 
influence  and  efforts  to  all  institutions  of  learning  and 
religion. 


J:UST,  JOSIAH  E.,  Cashier  of  the  First  National 
;  Bank  of  Muir,  Ionia  County,  was  born  December 
20,  1847,  farm  still  owned  and  occupied  by 

his-  parents,  in  the  township  of  Otisco,  Ionia 
County.  His  parents  were  James  and  Jane  (McClure) 
Just.  A  sketch  of  his  brother,  William  J.  Just,  also 
appears  in  this  work.  He  attended  the  common  school 
until  he  was  twelve  years  old.  He  then  worked  on  his 
father’s  farm  in  summer,  and  went  to  sehool  in  winter, 
until  he  was  eighteen,  when  he  obtained  his  first  insight 
into  the  banking  business,  by  serving  as  clerk  for  three 
months  in  the  First  National  Bank  at  Lowell.  The  con¬ 
finement  becoming  irksome,  he  returned  to  his  farm  work. 
After  one  summer,  he  went  to  Chicago,  and  became  clerk 


in  a  store,  where  he  remained  only  one  month,  and  again 
returned  home.  Soon  after,  in  January,  1870,  he  was 
appointed  cashier  of  the  banking  house  of  S.  W.  Webber 
and  Co.,  at  Muir,  where  he  remained  about  three  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  was  elected  cashier  of  the 
National  Bank  of  Lyons,  in  which  Mr.  S.  W.  Webber 
was  a  large  stockholder.  Lie  held  this  position  until  the 
bank  was  removed  to  Ionia.  He  was  then  elected  cashier 
of  the  First  National  Bank  at  Muir,  which  position  he  has 
now  occupied  for  five  years.  Mr.  Just  has  held  the  posi¬ 
tion  of  President  of  the  village  of  Muir,  and  is  now  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  He  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  now  Past  Chancellor.  In 
politics,  he  votes  and  works  for  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  outspoken  in  his  political  opinions,  and  gives  enthu¬ 
siastic  support  to  his  party.  He  was  married,  July  29, 
1875,  to  Ella  V.  Fox,  daughter  of  Matthew  H.  Fox,  of 
Muir. 


^^IDD,  HON.  JAMES  M.,  the  present  Mayor  of 
Ionia,  was  born,  November  13,  1813,  in  the 
Township  of  Montgomery,  Orange  County,  New 
York,  where  his  father,  William  R.  Kidd,  and  his 
mother, — whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Morell,— 
had  long  resided.  His  father  was  born  in  the  same 
house  where  he  himself  first  saw  the  light.  His  earlier 
years,  until  the  age  of  fifteen,  were  passed,  alternately,  in 
labor  upon  his  father’s  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  town.  It  was  only  during 
the  winter  months,  when,  there  was  but  little  farm  work 
to  do,  that  he  was  permitted  to  enjoy  the  meager  privi¬ 
leges  of  a  country  school ;  and,  as  after  his  fifteenth  year 
he  gave  up  school  altogether,  it  will  be  seen  that  his 
education  was  not  what  would  be  called  “liberal”  in 
these  days  of  high  schools  and  colleges.  In  1830  he  re¬ 
moved  with  his  parents  to  Michigan,  settling  near  Pon¬ 
tiac,  where  he  remained  until  1836.  Lie  then  went  to 
Ionia,  where  he  soon  after  engaged ,  in  the  manufacture 
of  fanning-mills,  a  business  which  he  followed  success¬ 
fully  for  many  years.  In  1845  Kidd  purchased  a 
saw-mill  and  a  tract  of  pine  land  on  Flat  River,  at  the 
point  now  known  as  Kiddville,  on  the  Detroit,  Lansing 
and  Northern  Railroad,  where,  for  nearly  twenty  years, 
he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  active,  energetic, 
and  enterprising  among  that  hardy  race  of  Michigan 
men, —  the  pioneer  lumbermen.  The  financial  pressure 
of  1857-8  was  a  severe  blow  to  him,  but  he  managed  to 
weather  the  storm,  only  to  see  the  hard  earnings  of  a 
life-time  swept  away  by  fire  in  1861.  With  the  indomita¬ 
ble  energy  for  which  he  was  remarkable,  he  set  to  work 
and  was  soon  on  his  feet  again.  In  1863  he  went  to 
Ionia,  and  a  second  time  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
fanning-mills,  etc.,  in  which  he  has  continued  until  the 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


69 


present  time.  His  business  has,  at  times,  been  of  enor¬ 
mous  magnitude,  and  his  sales  have  aggregated  many 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars.  His  goods  have  found 
a  market  in  twenty  different  counties,  which  have  thus 
paid  tribute  to  the  enterprise  of  Ionia.  During  the 
years  immediately  succeeding  the  war,  he  paid  the  Gov¬ 
ernment,  for  excise  taxes,  a  much  larger  sum  than  any 
other  manufacturer  in  Ionia  County.  Scores  of  laboring 
men  have,  year  after  year,  in  times  past,  found  employ¬ 
ment  in  his  manufactory ;  thus  providing  for  their  fami¬ 
lies,  and  adding  to  the  prosperity  of  the  city.  Perhaps 
no  one  man  has  done  more  to  promote  the  permanent 
growth  of  Ionia  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Many 
old  citizens  who  have  known  him  as  “Captain  Kidd” 
are  ignorant  of  the  origin  of  that  military  title.  He  was 
.commissioned  by  Governor  Mason,  in  1S35,  as  Captain 
in  the  4th  Regiment  of  Michigan  State  Troops;  and  his 
company  was  called  out  during  the  famous  “Toledo  War,” 
which  originated  in  a  dispute  concerning  the  boundary 
line  between  Ohio  and  Michigan.  This  trouble  was  set¬ 
tled  without  bloodshed,  and  he  never  had  any  further 
,  experience  in  active  warfare.  His  tastes  were  always 
military,  however,  and  only  his  age  and  the  impossi¬ 
bility  of  leaving  his  business  kept  him  from  taking 
arms  for  his  country  in  1S61.  Although  politically  op¬ 
posed  to  the  administration,  he  contributed  liberally  to 
the  cause  of  the  Union;  and,  having  only  one  son  old 
enough  to  enlist,  gave  him  every  aid  and  encouragement 
to  respond  to  the  call  of  patriotism.  Mr.  Kidd  is  a 
Democrat,  and  was  an  ardent  admirer  and  supporter  of 
Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  cast  his  first  ballot  for  the 
admission  of  Michigan  to  the  Union,  in  1835,  the 

following  year,  voted  for  President  Van  Buren.  Although 
always  an  active  partisan,  he  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  and  has  often  stubbornly  refused  to  permit  his 
name  to  be  used.  He  has  sometimes,  however,  found  him¬ 
self,  nolens  volens,  on  the  ticket,  and  has  been  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  nominee  for  the  Legislature  in  both  of  its  branches. 
His  personal  popularity  has  always  caused  him  to  run 
ahead  of  his  ticket.  In  1874  and  1875  represented 
his  ward  in  the  City  Council.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
Mayor  on  the  Democratic  ticket;  and,  in  1877,  was  re¬ 
elected  without  opposition, —  being  the  nominee  of  both 
parties.  Since  1871,  Mr.  Kidd  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  was  married  in 
1839  to  Miss  Jane  Stevenson,  daughter  of  Jesse  Steven¬ 
son,  C)f  Ionia.  She  is  now  living  in  her  sixty-first  year. 
Mr.  Kidd  is  a  man  of  fine,  physique,  nearly  six  feet  in 
height,  and,  although  sixty-four  years  of  age,  is  well 
preserved.  In  his  younger  days,  he  was  noted  for  his 
horsemanship,  and  would  mount  the  wildest  and  most 
fractious  horse,  and  ride  like  a  Centaur.  As  a  driver,  he 
was  well  known  in  the  ante-railroad  days  throughout 
the  Grand  River  Valley;  and  the  writer  has  often  seen 
admiring  crowds  gathered  in  front  of  the  Rathbun 


House,  in  Grand  Rapids,  as  he  reined  up  his  team  of 
spanking  bays  after  a  thirty-mile  drive.  At  one  period 
of  his  life,  he  owned  a  span  of  beautiful  black  horses, 
of  great  speed  and  endurance,  which  he  drove  from  one 
point  to  another,  as  business  called  him.  A  certain 
gentleman  of  his  acquaintance  used  to  aver,  with  great 
solemnity  (referring  to  a  heavy  overcoat  of  a  peculiar 
bright  blue  color,  which  he  wore,  and  to  the  swiftness 
of  his  steeds),  that  when  Mr.  Kidd  passed,  he  could 
actually  see  nothing  but  a  “blue  streak.”  After  the 
advent  of  railroads,  horses  were  less  useful;  and  it  is 
now  many  years  since  he  has  indulged  his  tastes  in  this 
direction. 

»o« - - 


DD,  COLONEL  JAMES  PL,  of  Ionia,  Michi¬ 
gan,  was  born  in  that  city,  February  14,  1S40. 
His  parents  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in 
Ionia  County.  His  father,  James  M.  Kidd,  emigrated 
to  Michigan  from  Newburg,  New  York;  and,  since  his 
residence  in  Ionia,  has  twice  been  honored  with  the 
position  of  Mayor  of  the  city.  His  mother,  Jane  (Stev¬ 
enson)  Kidd,  was  a  native  of  Windsor,  England ;  and, 
when  in  her  fifteenth  year,  left  her  home  to  come  to  the 
New  World.  After  he  had  availed  himself  of  the  educa¬ 
tional  advantages  which  the  common  schools  afforded, 
Mr.  Kidd’s  early  education  was  further  advanced  by  a 
three  years’  course  at  the  State  Normal  School;  he 
then  prepared  for  college,  under  the  tuition  of  Professor 
Joseph  Estabrook,  at  Ypsilanti  Seminary.  He  entered 
the  classical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan 
in  i860;  but  the  civil  strife  which  commenced  in  the 
succeeding  year,  transforming  so  many  of  our  quiet  citi¬ 
zens  into  brave  and  resolute  soldiers,  was  not  without 
its  effect  on  Mr.  Kidd.  His  taste  for  a  military  career 
early  showed  itself  at  the  University,  where  his  knowl¬ 
edge  of  tactics  gave  him  the  rank  of  officer  in  what  was 
known  as  the  “Tappan  Guards,”  and  brought  him  to 
the  notice  of  the  military  authorities  of  the  State.  This 
secured  him  an  entrance  into  active  military  life,  with 
the  rank  of  Captain  of  Company  E,  6th  Regiment, 
Michigan  Cavalry,  which  he  was  instrumental  in  rais¬ 
ing,  and  which  bore  its  part  in  the  struggle  in  General 
Kilpatrick’s  (afterwards  Merritt’s)  division  of  General 
Custer's  brigade.  After  a  winter  in  Washington,  Cap¬ 
tain  Kidd  was  ordered  to  the  field,  and  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  taking  part  in 
every  engagement.  At  Palling  Winters,  the  last  of  six¬ 
teen  battles  fought  in  fifteen  days,  he  was  severely 
wounded.  For  his  gallantry  in  that  engagement,  he  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major,  July  I4j  1863,  and 
joined  his  regiment  in  October  of  that  year.  In  July, 
1864,  he  received  his  commission  as  Colonel.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  battles  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  Kilpat- 


70 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


rick’s  raid,  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Sheridan’s 
raid,  Cold  Harbor,  etc.,  Colonel  Kidd  bore  a  conspicuous 
part  in  all  the  operations  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
under  General  Sheridan.  At  the  battle  of  Winchester, 
September  19,  1864,  he  was  again  wounded ;  and  on  the 
promotion  of  General  Custer,  he  was  appointed  to  suc¬ 
ceed  him  in  the  command  of  the  Michigan  brigade. 
While  at  the  head  of  his  men,  at  the  battle  of  Cedar 
Creek,  October  19,  1864,  he  had  two  horses  shot  under 
him.  Pie  was  soon  after  recommended,  by  Major-Gen¬ 
eral  Merritt,  for  appointment  as  Brigadier-General ;  this, 
however,  the  War  Department  did  not  grant.  Colonel 
Kidd  remained  in  the  service  until  after  the  surrender 
of  General  Lee,  at  Appomattox  Court  House.  At  the 
close  of  the  W'ar,  he  was  brevetted  Brigadier-General 
“for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.”  Colonel  Kidd’s  military  record  includes  sixty 
engagements  in  all.  After  the  surrender  of  General 
Lee,  Colonel  Kidd’s  command  was  ordered  West,  to  take 
part  in  the  Indian  war, — going  by  rail  and  river  to 
Fort  Leavenworth,  and  thence  by  a  long  and  difficult 
overland  march,  via  Fort  Kearney,  Julesburg  and  Fort 
Laramie,  to  Powder  River,  Wyoming  Territory.  In 
this  expedition.  Colonel  Kidd  was  in  command  of  the 
left  column,  under  General  P.  E.  Connor,  and  was  de¬ 
tailed  to  establish  a  post  of  supplies,  and  build  a  fort. 
This  undertaking  he  successfully  accomplished,  and  the 
flag  of  the  6th  Michigan  Cavalry  was  raised  over  the 
completed  fort,  which  was  then  designated  Fort  Connor, 
but  is  now  known  as  Fort  Reno.  For  his  former  com¬ 
panion  in  arms,  the  gallant  and  dashing  General  Custer, 
Colonel  Kidd  ever  cherished  the  warmest  feeling  of 
admiration.  This  was  enhanced  by  an  intimate  per¬ 
sonal  friendship  which  existed  between  them  ;  he  mourns 
the  brave  soldier’s  untimely  fate  as  if  he  had  lost  a 
brother.  After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service, 
in  the  fall  of  1865,  he  returned  to  Ionia,  and  engaged 
in  a  manufacturing  bixsiness  with  his  father.  Although 
the  years  ordinarily  spent  in  college  were  passed  by 
Colonel  Kidd  in  the  exciting  scenes  of  the  battle-field, 
his  subsequent  career  has  proved  that  a  military  life 
did  not  unfit  him  for  the  more  sober  duties  of  the 
private  citizen,  nor  render  the  drudgery  of  business 
distasteful  to  him.  Although  he  has  not  yet  reached 
the  prime  of  life,  he  has  acquired  a  competency,  and 
devotes  much  of  his  leisure  time  to  the  books  which  he 
put  aside  at  the  call  of  duty.  In  1867  he  received  the 
appointment  of  Register  in  the  United  States  I.and 
Office,  which  position  he  held  for  two  terms  of  four 
years  each.  In  all  public  enterprises  which  tend  to  im¬ 
prove  the  city,  or  increase  its  growth,  he  has  always 
been  interested,  and  to  them  has  lent  his  hearty  co-opera¬ 
tion.  He  is  an  independent  Republican;  his  first 
vote  was  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  lie  has 
been  a  member  of 'the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 


Ionia  since  1871.  In  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  which  he 
joined  in  1862,  Colonel  Kidd  has  been  Eminent  Com¬ 
mander  of  Ionia  Commandery  for  seven  years ;  and,  in 
1874,  held  the  office  of  Junior  Warden  of  the  Grand 
Commandery  of  the  State.  He  married,  December  25, 
1871,  Florence  S.  McConnell,  of  Ionia,  granddaughter 
of  Judge  Mundy,  formerly  of  Grand  Rapids  and  Ann 
Arbor.  They  have  no  children. 


M  USTERER,  CHRISTOPHER,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  is  the  son  of  Jacob  Kusterer,  of  Gum- 
pelscheuer,  Wurtemberg,  Germany.  He  spent 
his  boyhood  in  his  native  place,  attending  the  public 
school.  After  having  been  confirmed  in  the  Lutheran 
faith,  in  which  he  was  baptized  and  brought  up,  he 
was  apprenticed  to  a  brewer  of  Freudentstadt  (a  town 
eighteen  miles  from  his  home),  in  his  fourteenth  year, 
to  learn  the  brewers’  trade.  The  next  seven  years  were 
spent  in  his  apprenticeship,  and  in  working  at  his  trade. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  returned  home,  in  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  laws  of  his  country,  to  run  the  risk  of  being 
chosen  for  a  soldier.  Not  being  drafted,  however,  he 
determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and 
embarked  for  New  York,  where  he  arrived  in  1845. 
His  mind  having  been  fixed  on  Michigan,  he  left  New 
York,  and  started  for  that  State,  stopping  at  Ann  Arbor, 
where'  he  was  employed  in  Mr.  Kern’s  brewery  for 
nearly  two  years.  Here  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Miss  Mary  D.  Dauble,  whom  he  afterwards  married. 
Not  long  after  his  marriage,  he  removed  to  Gi'and 
Rapids,  where,  in  1877,  he  became  established  in  a 
large  brewery,  which  he  himself  had  built  on  Ionia 
street  in  1849.  firm  integrity  and  strict  attention 

to  business  have  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
business  men  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  have  won  for  him 
the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  has  a  large  amount 
of  real  estate,  besides  extensive  interests  in  the  Grand 
Rapids  Plydraulic  Company,  and  in  the  Star  Flour 
Mills.  Mr.  Kusterer  is  a  Democrat  in  principle,  but 
always  votes  for  the  best  man.  He  is  a  loving  and 
faithful  husband,  and  a  kind  father  to  his  children,  of 
whom  eight  are  now  living. 


^  EE,  DR.  FRANCIS  G.,  of  Portland,  Michigan, 
^  was  born  in  Penn  Yan,  Yates  County,  New  York, 
August  7,  1822.  He  was  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
Asenath  (Winants)  Lee.  His  father  was  a  Major  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  a  member  of  the  New  York  Legisla¬ 
ture  at  the  time  the  charter  was  granted  for  the  Erie 
Canal.  He  removed  to  Michigan  in  1824,  and  was 
Sheriff  of  Wayne  County  when  it  embraced  the  whole 


^^fn^EBjralUiS»nBl3£ariUyS-a/T. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


of  the  State.  He  was  also  elected  to  the  Legislature 
from  Washtenaw  County.  After  Mr.  Lee  had  finished 
an  academic  course  at  Ann  Arbor,  he  studied  law.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  and 
afterwards,  at  Howell,  Michigan,  and  practiced  three 
years  at  Mason.  He  then  studied  medicine  at  Western 
Reserve  College,  Ohio;  commenced  its  practice  at  Port¬ 
land,  Michigan;  and,  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
and  a  half  spent  in  California  for  his  health,  he  has 
never  left  his  duties.  Pie  has  been  Town  Clerk  of  Port¬ 
land;  has  held  the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  four 
years,  and  that  of  Postmaster  eight  years.  Mr.  Lee  con¬ 
tributed  liberally  to  the  building  of  the  Detroit,  Lansing 
and  Lake  Michigan  Railroad,  and  also  to  the  Marshall  and 
Coldwater  Railroad,  which  is  not  yet  completed.  In  the 
year  l86i,  he  was  made  a  Free  Mason.  He  has  been 
Master  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  High  Priest  of  the  Chapter, 
King  under  Dispensation,  and  T.  I.  G.  M.  of  the  Coun¬ 
cil.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  James  K.  Polk,  and  works 
with  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a 
Trustee  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which 
he  has  been  a  member  for  sixteen  years.  Doctor  Lee 
has  been  married  twice;  first  to  Julia  M.  Bogue,  and, 
after  her  death,  to  Louisa  L.  Bogue — both  daughters  of  a 
well-known  merchant  of  Portland. 


j^j^EE,  CAPTAIN  SETH,  Muskegon,  Michigan,  is  a 
native  of  Elyria,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  Jan- 
uary  14,  1S33.  was  one  of  a  large  family,  and 
was  compelled  to  leave  school  at  the  age  of  nine  years 
to  seek  employment.  For  two  years  he  worked  at  farm¬ 
ing  or  any  thing  else  he  could  find  to  do ;  studying  during 
the  evenings,  and,  when  out  of  employment,  attending 
school  in  the  winter.  A  brother’s  tales  of  the  sea  in¬ 
tensified  the  desire  for  a  sailor’s  life,  which  had  been  the 
ruling  passion  of  his  boyhood.  In  1844,  then  only 
eleven  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Huron,  and  succeeded 
in  securing  a  position  as  cook  on  a  vessel,  which  was 
under  the  command  of  his  brother-in-law.  Captain  John 
Peterson.  During  a  period  of  eleven  years,  he  served  in 
every  capacity  from  cook  up  to  mate.  P'rom  1855  to 
1857,  he  was  Captain  of  the  schooner  “Tartar.”  In 
the  spring  of  1858  he  took  command  of  the  schooner 
“Cuba,”  trading  from  Chicago  to  Oswego.  He  con¬ 
tinued  trading  in  different  vessels,  most  of  the  time  at 
the  above  ports,  until  1872,  when  he  removed  to  Mus¬ 
kegon,  Michigan,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  from 
that  port.  In  1875  his  sight  became  impaired  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  feared  some  accident  might  endanger 
the  lives  under  his  charge.  During  the  thirty-one  years 
of  his  life  on  the  lakes,  he  had  been  mercifully  spared 
from  all  disasters,  and  he  preferred  to  run  no  risks  in 
the  future.  The  position  of  superintendent  of  the  float¬ 


71 

ing  property  of  the  Muskegon  Booming  Company  was 
offered  him;  he  accepted,  and  has  since  retained  it. 
Captain  Lee  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  P'raternity,  which  he  joined  in  1854,  at  Milan, 
Ohio.  July  28,  1855,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Fina  Mills, 
who  died  July  8,  1873,  leaving  one  daughter.  Captain 
Lee  was  again  married,  August  19,  1874,  to  Miss  Kittie 
M.  Haight,  of  Buffalo,  New  York. 

-  »c>« 

^INCOLN,  DR.  W.  B.,  of  Ionia,  Ionia  County, 

1  Michigan,  was  the  third  of  nine  children  of 
J ames  and  Lucy  (Whitcomb)  Lincoln.  His 
father  was  a  (native  of  Massachusetts,  and  his  mother 
of  New  Hampshire.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they 
emigrated  to  Vermont,  and  settled  in  the  township  of 
Peru,  Bennington  County,  where  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born,  December  29,  1807.  With  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  about  seven  years  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
he  spent  most  of  his  time  in  Peru  until  he  was 
seventeen,  laboring  and  attending  school,  alternately, 
as  opportunity  offered.  About  this  time,  on  the  advice 
of  friends,  he  concluded  to  qualify  himself  for  teaching, 
and  soon  acquired  a  competent  knowledge  of  the  branches 
usually  taught  in  the  common  schools.  From  that  time 
until  he  had  comjileted  the  study  of  his  profession,  school 
teaching  was  his  usual  occupation  during  the  winter,  and 
labor  on  the  farm  in  haying  and  harvesting  time.  After 
having  finished  his  preparatory  studies,  he  entered  the 
office  of  Dr.  Abraham  Lowell,  of  Chester,  Vermont,  as 
a  student.  Having  completed  his  three  years’  term  of 
study,  and  attended  two  courses  of  medical  lectures  at 
the  Clinical  School  of  Medicine,  in  Woodstock,  Ver¬ 
mont,  he  graduated  in  May,  1832.  In  the  summer  of 
that  year  he  practiced  at  Manchester,  Vermont,  and 
taught  during  the  winter  in  the  same  place.  In  the 
following  spring  he  visited  Boston,  and  shortly  after  his 
return,  set  out  on  horseback  on  a  prospecting  tour.  On 
his  arrival  in  Herkimer  County,  New  York,  he  learned 
of  the  formation  of  the  Dexter  Colony,  whose  destina¬ 
tion  was  Ionia  County,  Michigan;  and,  visiting  Mr. 
Dexter  at  his  residence  in  Schuyler,  he  decided  to  accom¬ 
pany  them.  Accordingly,  they  left  Utica,  April  25,  and 
arrived  in  Ionia,  May  28,  being  one  month  and  three 
days  on  the  way.  The  entire  Grand  River  Valley  below 
Jackson  was  then  an  unbroken  wilderness,  inhabited 
only  by  Indians  and  wild  beasts,  with  the  exception 
of  now  and  then  an  Indian  trading  station.  On  arriv¬ 
ing  here,  and  viewing  as  best  he  could  the  surroundings, 
he  concluded  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  colony,  and  make 
Ionia  his  future  home.  His  residence  here  now  covers 
a  period  of  nearly  forty-five  years.  P'or  the  first  year  or 
two  of  his  professional  services  in  this  county,  his  time 
not  being  fully  occupied,  he  turned  his  attention,  in  the 


/ 


72 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


intervals  of  leisure,  to  whatever  would  best  subserve  the 
interests  of  the  colony.  Year  by  year,  as  the  settlement 
extended,  his  business  also  extended.  For  several  years 
he  was  the  only  physician  in  this  region,  and  frequently 
traveled  into  adjoining  counties,  a  distance  of  forty 
miles.  For  many  years  he  traveled  mostly  on  horse¬ 
back,  and  not  infrequently  found  it  necessary  to  ford 
Grand  River  when  the  current  was  deep  and  strong. 
Sometimes,  in  the  winter,  when  it  was  not  possible  to 
cross  the  river  with  a  horse,  on  account  of  the  condition 
of  the  ice,  he  has  gone  on  foot  from  thirty  to  forty  miles 
to  visit  the  sick.  In  addition  to  his  profession,  he  has 
been  engaged  considerably  in  farming ;  also,  in  the  drug 
business,  in  company  with  P.  C.  llutchin  and  Peter 
Hacket.  In  1834  he  built  the  first  frame  house  in  Ionia 
County.  He  was  married,  July  5,  1835,  Anthy  P. 
Arnold,  a  daughter  of  Oliver  Arnold,  one  of  the  original 
settlers  and  a  member  of  the  Dexter  Colony.  They  were 
the  first  white  couple  married  in  Ionia  County,  and  have 
since  that  time  resided  there,  with  the  exception  of  four 
years  spent  in  Berlin,  Ottawa  County.  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
elected  the  first  Township  Clerk  of  Ionia,  the  township 
then  embracing  the  entire  county,  d'he  first  township 
meeting  was  held  at  the  German  Indian  trading  station, 
six  miles  up  the  river  from  Ionia,  April  6,  1835.  While 
a  resident  of  Berlin,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  School  Inspector,  and  Assessor.  He  was  a 
Whig  during  the  existence  of  that  party,  and,  when 
it  disbanded,  became  a  Republican ;  though  not  an 
active  politician,  he  was  decided  in  his  political  views. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Ionia 
since  its  organization  in  1834.  He  was  its  first  Clerk, 
and,  subsequently,  one  of  the  Trustees  and  a  Deacon  for 
many  years.  He  has  a  family  of  four  children, —  three 
daughters  and  one  son, —  all  married.  The  first  daugh¬ 
ter,  Julia  E.  Lincoln,  was  born  in  Ionia,  September  30, 
1836,  and  was  married  to  Virgil  S.  Eastman,  of  Water- 
ville,  Oneida  County,  New  York,  July  3,  1854.  The 
second  daughter.  Marietta,  was  born  in  Cass  (now  Ber¬ 
lin),  Ionia  County,  August  25,  1838,  and  was  married 
to  Dr.  H.  B.  Barnes,  of  Ionia,  July  18,  1861.  The  third 
daughter,  Jennie,  was  born  in  Ionia,  November  15,  1853, 
and  married  to  George  W.  Neller,  of  Ionia,  September 
3,  1873.  _^The  eldest  son,  William  Tully  Lincoln,  was  born 
in  Berlin,  Ionia  County,  December  i,  1840.  The  second 
son,  Horace  Greeley  Lincoln,  was  born  in  Ionia,  Novem¬ 
ber  12,  1S42,  and  died  in  Kalamazoo,  April  25,  i860, 
having  gone  there  to  complete  his  education.  His  long 
residence  in  Ionia,  and  his  eminent  social  and  profes¬ 
sional  abilities,  have  made  Dr.  Lincoln’s  name  a  house¬ 
hold  word  in  his  own  section.  He  will  long  be  remem¬ 
bered  as  a  man  loyal  to  his  God,  a  true  friend,  a  kind 
husband  and  father,  a  Christian  gentleman,  and  an 
earnest  worker  in  all  enterprises  for  the  general  good  of 
society. 


''^^j^^ElTELT,  ADOLPH,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born 
January  13,  1833,  at  Kratzau,  Bohemia,  the  birth- 
place  of  a  long  line  of  his  ancestors.  His  father 
was  Joseph  Leitelt,  and  his  mother,  Barbara,  was  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Truebel,  all  of  Kratzau,  Bohemia. 
According  to  the  law  of  Austria,  Mr.  Leitelt  and  his 
seven  brothers  attended  the  National  Schools  at  Kratzau, 
from  the  age  of  six  to  fourteen  years.  He  then  became 
an  apprentice  to  his  father  in  the  locksmith  business,  in 
which  he  continued  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  left  Bohemia  for  the  United  States.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  voyage  the  weather  was  so  tempestuous  that  one 
of  the  engines  of  the  steamer  broke  down,  leaving  the 
passengers  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves  for  three  days. 
At  the  end  of  this  time,  the  engines  having  been  re¬ 
paired,  they  were  enabled  to  proceed  on  their  voyage. 
He  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  28th  of  September, 
1853,  and  remained  there  about  a  year,  working  at  his 
trade.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1854,  he  came 
to  Grand  Rapids,  and  was  employed  as  a  machinist  until 
i860;  he  then  went  to  Grand  Haven,  and  accepted  the 
position  of  foreman  for  Mr.  William  M.  Ferry.  He  re¬ 
mained  there  two  years;  and,  in  1863,  returning  to  Grand 
Rapids,  engaged  in  business  for  himself.  He  erected 
buildings  for  a  foundry  and  machine  shop,  which  were 
afterwards  consumed  in  the  conflagration  of  1870,  his 
loss  being  twenty  thousand  dollars.  Since  Mr.  Leitelt 
has  been  in  business  for  himself,  he  has  manufactured 
upward  of  two  hundred  engines  and  more  than  that 
number  of  boilers.  He  has  added  to  his  business  the 
manufacture  of  brass  goods  and  of  a  steam  heating  ap¬ 
paratus  for  public  buildings,  factories,  and  private  dwell¬ 
ings;  and,  connected  with  the  manufacturing,  he  has  a 
store  for  general  mill  supplies.  He  gives  employment 
to  nearly  one  hundred  men,  and  his  manufactures  have 
found  their  way  into  most  of  the  Eastern  and  Western 
States.  In  1873  he  received,  from  Governor  Bagley,  a 
commission  to  visit  the  Vienna  Exposition,  in  behalf  of_ 
the  State  of  Michigan.  From  1870  to  1874  he  was  an 
Alderman  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  holds  that 
position  at  the  present  time.  His  political  views  are 
those  of  the  Democratic  party.  On  the  4th  of  October, 
1859,  he  married  Theresa,  daughter  of  Edward  Ansorge, 
of  Grand  Rapids,  originally  of  Engelsberg,  Bohemia. 


^"'iJ^’lTTLEJOHN, 


JUDGE  F.  J.,  of  Allegan,  was 


born  in  Herkimer  County,  New  York,  in  July, 
1804.  He  graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in 
1827,  and  delivered  the  valedictory  address.  In  1830  he 
was  admitted  to  ihe  bar.  He  practiced  law  at  Little  Falls, 
in  his  native  county,  until  the  spring  of  1836,  when  his 
health  failed,  and  he  sought  a  home  in  the  West.  He 
settled  in  Allegan,  Michigan,  being  among  the  pioneers 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


73 


\ 


of  that  section  of  country.  He  was  engaged  for  some 
years  as  a  surveyor,  engineer,  and  geologist.  In  the 
fall  of  1841,  he  was  elected  to  the  Lower  Plouse  of  the 
Legislature,  and  was  afterwards  chosen  for  a  second  and 
third  term.  In  1845  was  elected  to  the  Senate.  He 
was  President  pro  tern,  of  that  body  during  the  lengthy 
session  of  1846,  when  the  revised  statutes  of  that  year 
were  adopted.  He  was  again  returned  to  the  House,  in 
1848,  and  sat  as  a  member  during  its  first  session  at 
Lansing.  He  was  also  elected  to  the  same  body  in  1855. 
As  a  legislator,  his  labors  have  been  arduous,  and  his 
influence  salutary.  He  was  the  originator  and  chief 
advocate  of  many  measures  which,  having  become  laws, 
have  strongly  aided  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
State.  In  the  interval  between  his  last  two  elections  to 
the  House,  Mr.  Littlejohn  returned  to  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  in  which  he  has  also  been  engaged  for 
the  last  ten  years.  In  1858  he  was  elected  Circuit  Judge 
of  the  Ninth  Circuit.  This  circuit  had  been  newly 
organized,  and  embraced,  territorially,  some  twenty  coun¬ 
ties,  viz :  those  lying  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  from  Van  Puren  to  Emmett,  besides  the  con¬ 
tiguous  inland  counties.  No  reliable  means  of  public 
conveyance  then  existed, —  there  were  even  no  roads, — 
and  the  performance  of  his  duties  was,  therefore,  diffi¬ 
cult.  In  1875  1876,  Judge  Littlejohn  prepared  the 

material  from  which  an  historical  work  on  the  North¬ 
west  was  compiled.  Of  late  years,  he  has  held  aloof 
from  politics.  He  is  now  somewhat  advanced  in  years, 
but  still  takes  an  interest  in  public  affairs.  He  lives  in 
Allegan,  and  is  highly  respected  there  and  wherever  he 
is  known. 

- - K>< - 

TRUMAN  HAWLEY,  Proprietor  of  Sweet’s 
Hotel,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  at 
Parishville,  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  on 
the  24th  of  February,  1826.  His  parents,  Truman  H. 
and  Lucinda  (Farnham)  Lyon,  were  originally  from 
Shelburn,  Vermont.  In  June,  1837,  the  family  removed 
to'  the  then  new  State  of  Michigan,  and  settled  in 
Ionia  County,  in  the  locality  subsequently  known  as 
Lyons,  from  their  having  been  the  original  settlers.  In 
1841  Truman  PL  Lyon  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  where 
he  became  a  prominent  citizen,  holding  successively  the 
offices  of  Postmaster  and  Judge,  and,  in  1850,  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate. ,  His  family  comprised  seven 
sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of  whom,  except  two  sons 
and  the  daughter,  are  living,  and  in  independent  cir¬ 
cumstances.  During  his  residence  at  Lyons,  Mr.  T.  H. 
Lyon  obtained,  at  the  district  school  of  the  settlement, 
a  limited  education ;  but,  during  his  subsequent  life,  ac¬ 
quired  the  education  of  an  intelligent  and  well-informed 
Desirous  of  pushing  his  fortune  while  yet  a  youth, 
6;j 


he  left  his  home  at  Grand  Rapids,  in  1844,  and,  going  to 
Detroit,  engaged  as  bell  and  errand  boy  in  the  National 
Hotel,  where  he  afterwards  became  head  clerk.  In  1847 
he  entered  the  employment  of  his  uncle,  who  was  pro¬ 
prietor  of  the  Michigan  Exchange  Hotel,  as  confidential 
clerk,  and  remained  until  1850.  He  then  returned  to 
Grand  Rapids,  where  he  served  as  clerk  in  the  dry 
goods  house  of  William  L.  Warring  nearly  two  years. 
In  1852  he  went  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  for  a  few  months, 
as  book-keeper  for  O.  Jackson.  He  afterwards  went  to 
Three  Rivers,  Wisconsin,  and  there  remained  two  years, 
as  book-keeper  of  Aldrich,  Smith  &  Co.,  lumbermen. 
In  1854,  in  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  George 
B.  Morton,  at  Kalamazoo,  he  leased  the  Kalamazoo 
House.  After  having  kept  it  three  months,  they  ac¬ 
cepted  a  proposition  from  the  owners  whereby  their 
lease  was  canceled,  and  they  received  a  profit  of  five 
thousand  dollars.  With  his  partner,  Mr.  Lyon,  in  the 
spring  of  1855,  bought  an  interest  in  four  stage  lines, 
all  running  from  Grand  Rapids,  in  which  they  employed 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  horses.  The  Government 
contract  for  carrying  the  mails,  which  formed  the  basis 
of  this  business,  expiring  with  the  completion  of  rail¬ 
roads  in  1859,  they  sold  their  interests.  Then  Mr.  Lyon 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Grand  Rapids,  and  con¬ 
tinued  in  it  until  1861,  when  he  leased  the  Rathbun 
House,  built  a  brick  block  adjoining  it  on  Monroe  street, 
and  bought  a  quarter  interest  in  what  is  known  as  the 
property  of  the  Island  Company;  this  consists  of  nine 
acres  of  land  in  the  center  of  the  city,  adjoining  and 
connected  with  the  east  bank  of  the  river.  It  was  laid 
out  in  city  lots  and  streets;  and,  mainly  by  his  untiring 
exertions,  was  prepared  for  market.  At  the  present 
time,  this  property  is  nearly  covered  with  handsome 
buildings;  among  others,  the  Kent  County  Jail,  one  of 
the  finest  buildings  in  the  city,  regarded  from  an  archi¬ 
tectural  standpoint.  In  this  way,  Mr.  Lyon  has  become 
a  public  benefactor.  In  1864  he  became  a  stockholder 
in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Grand  Rapids;  and,  since 
1869,  has  been  one  of  its  Directors.  In  March,  1870, 
he  bought  the  furniture  and  lease  of  Sweet’s  Hotel,  of 
which  he  became  proprietor.  Since  then,  he  has  won 
for  it,  by  his  good  management,  a  large  share  of  the 
public  patronage ;  the  house,  since  that  time,  having 
been  regarded  as  a  first-class  hotel,  and  the  best  in  the 
city.  In  1874  he  built  another  large  store  on  Pearl 
street,  on  part  of  his  island  property,  which  pays  him  a 
handsome  rent.  He  has  filled  no  public  office,  never 
having  taken  any  active  part  as  a  politician;  but  has 
devoted  himself  freely  to  every  enterprise  calculated  to 
benefit  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids.  Fie  is  connected,  as 
a  stockholder,  with  the  Kalamazoo  and  Grand  Rapids 
Division  of  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern 
Railroad;  also,  with  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Newaygo 
Railroad,  and  the  Grand  River  Valley  Railroad.  He  is 


man. 


74 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


also  a  stockholder,  and  was,  for  several  years,  a  Director 
of  the  Grand  Rapids  Chair  Company.  In  November, 
1851,  Mr.  Lyon  married,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Miss  Delia, 
eldest  daughter  of  Russell  Morton,  and  sister  of  his  sub¬ 
sequent  partner,  George  B.  Morton,  a  well-known  citizen 
of  Grand  Rapids,  since  deceased.  From  this  union  were 
born  two  children,  when,  shortly  after  the  birth  of  the 
second,  Mrs.  Lyon  died.  Two  years  afterwards,  Mr. 
Lyon  married  Miss  Eliza  Blair,  of  Grand  Rapids,  a 
sister  of  James  Blair,  Esq.,  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Blair,  Stone  &  Kingsley.  They  have  one  daughter,  who 
now,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  is  an  accomplished 
young  lady.  From  this  brief  sketch,  it  will  be  observed 
that  Mr.  Lyon  very  properly  takes  position  in  the  list 
of  kelf-made  men.  Frtim  a  youth  without  means,  and 
with  but  very  limited  education,  he  has  become  one  of 
the  solid  men  of  Grand  Rapids;  while  his  character  for 
probity,  and  as  a  most  obliging  and  efficient  landlord 
of  the  first  hotel  in  the  city,  is  as  well  known  as  the 
house  in  which  he  so  successfully  presides. 


OVELL,  HON.  CYRUS,  of  Ionia,  Michigan,  was 
born  in  Grafton,  Windham  County,  Vermont, 
September  9,  1804.  His  parents,  Enos  and  Mary 
(Grant)  Lovell,  were  both  of  New  England  origin.  His 
father  was  a  farmer.  Mr.  Lovell  attended  school  at 
his  native  place  until  1814,  when  the  family  moved  to 
Chester,  Windsor  County. '  There  he  finished  his  aca¬ 
demic  course.  After  several  years  spent  in  legal  and 
other  studies,  first  in  Springfield,  Vermont,  and  after¬ 
wards  in  Northampton  and  Rockingham,  he,  in  1829, 
emigrated  to  Michigan.  He  touched  at  Detroit,  then  a 
small  French  settlement  of  seventeen  hundred  inhabi¬ 
tants,  and  finally  settled  at  Ann  Arbor.  In  1831  he 
married  Louise  Fargo,  who  still  survives,  and  went  to 
Galesburg,  Kalamazoo  County.  In  1832  he  built  the 
first  frame  dwelling-house  in  Kalamazoo.  The  same 
year,  he  spent  forty  days  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and 
received  a  bounty  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  for  this  service.  While  at  Kalamazoo,  he  filled  the 
offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Prosecuting  Attorney, 
and  Supervisor.  In  1836  he  settled  permanently  at 
Ionia,  and  devoted  himself  to  his  profession.  In  1837 
he  was  chosen  the  first  Supervisor  of  the  township  of 
Ionia.  In  1848  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and 
served  on  the  Judiciary  Committee  and  the  Committee 
of  Banks  and  Incorporations.  In  1850  he  was  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Constitutional  Convention.  During  a  second 
term  which  he  served  in  the  Legislature,  in  1855,  he 
was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  filled 
the  position  with  ability.  In  politics,  he  was  first  a 
Whig,  and  afterwards  a  Republican  until  i860,  when 
he  voted  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  has  since  worked 


and  voted  for  the  Democratic  party.  Mr.  Lovell  ranks 
among  the  foremost  lawyers  of  Michigan,  and  has  no 
superior  in  the  qualities  necessary  to  a  mastery  of  the 
scientific  principles  of  the  law.  His  fund  of  scholarly 
and  general  knowledge  is  rich  and  varied.  Pie  has 
retired  from  active  professional  duties.  Of.  Mr.  Lov¬ 
ell’s  family  of  three  sons  and  eight  daughters,  only  four 
daughters  survive. 


- »o. - 

)N,  HON.  LUCIUS,  whose  property  and  resi- 
mce,  in  private  life,  were  principally  at  Grand 
apids,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Shelburn,  Ver¬ 
mont,  on  the  26th  of  February,  1800,  and  died  at  Detroit, 
September  24,  1851.  His  father,  Asa  Lyon,  of  Shelburn, 
Vermont,  was  esteemed  a  man  of  sound  judgment.  His 
neighbors  referred  to  him  for  counsel  in  their  difficulties, 
and  were  usually  governed  by  his  decisions.  Plis  mother 
was  Sarah,  daughter  of  Ambrose  Atwater,  of  Walling¬ 
ford,  Connecticut.  Some  of  his  ancestors  were  among  the 
original  settlers  of  New  Haven.  Mr.  Lyon,  as  a  child  and 
youth,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
town ;  and  he  entered,  when  approaching  his  majority, 
upon  the  study  of  engineering  and  land  surveying  in  the 
office  of  John  Johnson,  Esq.,  of  Burlington,  Vermont. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  with  a  thorough  knowl¬ 
edge  of  that  business,  he  went  to  Detroit;  and,  his  pro¬ 
fessional  skill  becoming  known,  he  was  soon  afterward 
appointed  by  the  United  States  Surveyor-General  one  of 
his  deputies  for  the  district  north-west  of  the  Ohio.  In 
this  office,  Mr.  Lyon  continued  until  1832.  While  still 
engaged  in  its  duties,  he  was  informed  that  he  had  been 
elected  a  delegate  from  the  then  Territory  of  Michigan 
to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  He  accepted,  and 
remained  in  Congress  until  the  first  convention  was  as¬ 
sembled  to  form  a  constitution,  with  which  the  State  of 
Michigan  applied  for  admission  into  the  Union.  Of  that 
convention,  Mr.  Lyon  was  a  member;  and  his  course 
was  signalized  by  his  influence  in  procuring  the  adoption 
of  those  provisions  respecting  the  common-school  lands, 
which  made  the  funds  accruing  therefrom  a  sacred  and 
permanent  trust,  by  which  the  endowment  has  become 
so  large  and  beneficial.  The  first  Legislature  which  as¬ 
sembled  in  Michigan  chose  Mr.  Lyon  as  a  Senator  in 
Congress, — an  honor  due  to  his  character  and  services  in 
behalf  of  the  neu'  State,  and  to  his  general  knowledge 
of  the  condition  and  necessities  of  the  North-west.  Mr. 
Lyon  continued  in  the  Senate  until  1839,  when  he  with¬ 
drew  to  Grand  Rapids,  then  a  village  of  a  few  hundred 
inhabitants,  where  he  owned  a  large  portion  of  the 
property.  Impressed  with  the  belief  that  extensive  saline 
deposits  underlay  the  land  of  the  village,  he  was  active 
and  liberal  in  making  efforts  to  develop  and  establish 
the  manufacture  of  salt;  and,  for  a  few  years,  he  was 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


75 


successfully  engaged  in  this  enterprise.  In  1S42  he  was 
nominated  and  elected  by  the  Democrats  of  the  district 
as  their  Representative  in  Congress.  Upon  the  exj^iration 
of  his  term,  he  was  appointed  by  President  Polk  to  the 
office  of  United  States  Surveyor-General  for  the  States 
of  Ohio,  Michigan,  and  Indiana.  At  his  request,  and 
as  a  condition  of  acceptance,  the  office  was  located  at 
Detroit.  He  filled  it  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1851, —  his  experience  as  a  surveyor  in  early  life,  and  as 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Public  Lands,  in  both 
Houses  of  Congress,  remarkably  qualifying  him  for  the 
discharge  of  its  duties.  Mr.  Lyon  was  not  a  brilliant  man, 
nor  rapid  in  his  mental  action  ;  but,  by  being  patient, 
carefully  observing,  and  deliberately  considering  all  sub¬ 
jects  which  were  submitted  to  him,  he  generally  reached 
a  correct  conclusion,  and  was  especially  able  to  make 
practical  applications  of  results.  Thus,  in  his  favorite 
line  of  study,  natural  and  mechanical  science,  he  became 
a  proficient,  and  a  peer  of  those  who  had  enjoyed  far 
superior  educational  advantages.  The  extent  of  his 
knowledge  and  his  capacity  for  action  were  sometimes 
obscured  by  his  modesty.  From  the  unpretentious  and 
silent  man,  but  a  tithe  of  that  influence  and  achieve¬ 
ment  was  expected  which  he  was  found  to  have  wielded 
and  accomplished.  He  was  amiable,  benevolent,  and 
religious ;  and,  in  the  later  years  of  his  life,  found  rest, 
satisfaction,  comfort,  and  joy,  often  fervently  acknowl¬ 
edged,  in  that  form  of  Christian  faith  taught  by  Sweden¬ 
borg.  From  his  first  appearance  in  public  life,  until  his 
death,  a  consistent  Democrat,  he  was  unwavering  in  his 
political  principles  and  associations.  He  never  married, 
• — his  housekeeping,  until  his  death,  having  been  superin¬ 
tended  by  a  maiden  sister,  who  yet  survives  him.  In 
conclusion,  it  may  be  said  that  to  no  other  statesman 
whom  Michigan  has  produced  and  sustained  in  office, 
does  she  owe  more  than  to  the  delegate,  Representative, 
Senator,  and  private  citizen,  Hon.  Lucius  Lyon. 


UCE,  RANSOM  C.,  Retired  Merchant,  of  Grand 
j,;  Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Middleburg,  New 
York,  on  the  28th  of  February,  1822.  His  par¬ 
ents,  Marston  C.  Luce  and  Rebecca  W.  Throop,  were 
married,  at  Courtland,  Vermont,  in  September,  1819, 
and  had  two  sons  and  two  .daughters  prior  to  their  emi¬ 
gration  to  Detroit,  in  1832.  During  the  three  years  of 
their  stay  there,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  sent  to 
school,  where,  however,  he  was  permitted  to  remain  but 
two  terms.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  on  account  of  the 
failing  health  of  his  father  and  brother,  he  was  obliged 
to  work,  in  support  of  the  family,  at  anything  he  could 
get  to  do.  In  1835  they  removed  to  St.  Joseph  County, 
and  from  there,  in  1841,  to  Grand  Rapids,  where  they 
kept  the  Rathbun  House,  and,  subsequently,  the  Eagle 


Hotel.  On  account  of  the  illness  of  his  father,  brother, 
and  two  sisters,  the  whole  care  of  the  house  fell  to  him 
and  his  mother.  Thus  matters  continued  for  about  two 
years,  when  he  decided  to  open  a  grocery  store  as  pref¬ 
erable  to  keeping  a  hotel.  His  father  and  brother  con¬ 
tinued  sick  until  1845,  when,  within  a  few  months  of 
each  other,  they  died.  In  the  course  of  the  year  follow¬ 
ing,  both  of  his  sisters  died.  Thus,  within  about  a 
year,  the  family  was  reduced  to  Mr.  Luce  and  his  mother. 
In  1850  he  married  Miss  Sarah  H.  Gregory,  who  lived 
for  fourteen  years  his  faithful  wife,  and  became  the 
mother  of  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living. 
In  1864,  in  her  death,  he  and  his  children  mourned  the 
loss  of  an  affectionate  wife  and  mother.  Eight  years 
afterward.s,  Mr.  Luce  married,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Miss 
Charlotte  C.  Montague,  a  native  of  Chittenden  County, 
Vermont,  and,  by  this  union,  has  had  one  son, — a 
child  of  much  promise.  After  the  death  of  his  father, 
brother,  and  sisters,  Mr.  Luce,  finding  the  business  in 
which  he  had  been  recently  occupied  more  profitable 
than  any  other  known  to  him,  continued  it  for  seven¬ 
teen  years,  and  attained  remarkable  success.  He  then 
decided  to  engage  in  the  dry  goods  trade,  which  he  car¬ 
ried  on  successfully  until  1871,  when,  having  attained  a 
competency,  he  retired  from  active  business  as  a  mer¬ 
chant.  He  has  since  confined  his  operations  to  real 
estate,  of  which  he  owns  a  lai’ge  amount;  most  of  it 
very  valuable.  In  1856  he  built  the  largest  block  used 
for  stores,  offices,  and  a  public  hall,  then  in  the  city. 
It  fronts  on  two  streets,  and  is  five  stories  high  above 
the  basement.  On  the  same  street,  which  is  the  principal 
business  street  of  the  city,  he  built  another  block,  which 
is  known  as  the  Fremont  Block.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  City  National  Bank  of  Grand  Rapids, 
and  has  been  a  Director  of  it  continuously  since  its  insti¬ 
tution.  As  we  have  plainly  shown,  Mr.  Luce  is  not 
indebted  to  friends  or  relatives  for  his  success  in  life. 
He  inherited  neither  influence  nor  capital.  Nothing  but 
earnest  labor  and  untiring  industry  could  have  overcome 
the  privations  and  difficulties  which  beset  him,  and  have 
gained  for  him  that  which  he  has  won.  In  his  triumph, 
he  stands  to-day  a  living  and  eminent  example  of  a 
truly  self-made  man.  His  life  and  success  afford  a 
valuable  example  to  every  young  man,  and  special 
encouragement  to  him,  who,  amid  the  most  untoward  cir¬ 
cumstances,  is  determined  to  succeed.  It  is  the  record 
of  such  lives,  which  this  book  affords  in  brief,  that  makes 
it  valuable  to  every  young  man  and  woman  who  may 
peruse  it.  In  politics,  Mr.  Luce,  except  in  the  affairs 
of  the  city,  and  as  a  member  of  the  Union  League  dur¬ 
ing  the  war,  has  taken  no  prominent  part.  In  1856  he 
was  elected  Alderman  of  the  ward  of  his  residence,  and 
was  re-elected  regularly  for  fifteen  years;  always  exhibit¬ 
ing  a  thorough  appreciation  of  the  duties  of  his  office, 
and- attending  to  them  with  fidelity.  Since  then,  he  has 


76 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


held  no  public  office.  Pie  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  been  a  member  of  it  since  its  organization. 
He  is  not  a  member  of  any  secret  society.  Since  retiring 
from  the  City  Council,  and  from  active  business,  he  has 
devoted  his  time  to  the  details  of  the  management  of  his 
real  estate.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  he  is  held  in  high 
regard  by  his  fellow-citizens,  with  whom  he  is  ever  ready 
to  engage  in  movements  calculated  to  benefit  the  city. 


OVELL,  LOUIS  S.,  Judge  of  the  Eighth  Judicial 
Circuit,  of  Michigan,  was  born  at  Grafton,  Wind- 
ham  County,  Vermont,  November  15,  1816.  He 
was  the  second  son  of  Don  and  Mary  (Shafter)  Lovell. 
His  father  was  a  carder  and  cloth-dresser,  and,  in  the 
later  years  of  his  life,  a  manufacturer.  In  the  spring  of 
1817,  the  family  moved  to  .Springfield,  in  Windsor  County, 
where  they  remained  until  they  went  West,  in  1841. 
In  early  boyhood  he  attended  the  district  school,  and 
assisted  in  his  father’s  factory.  He  was  afterwards  a 
pupil  at  Chester  and  at  Bellows  Falls,  and  graduated,  in 
1836,  from  Middlebury  College.  He  went  South  in  the 
fall  of  that  year,  and  was  engaged  in  teaching  in  the 
State  of  Georgia  till  1838.  He  studied  law  in  the  offices 
of  Judge  Closson,  of  Springfield,  and  D.  E.  Wheeler,  of 
New  York.  His  father  died  in  1839.  He  settled  the 
estate,  and,  in  October,  1841,  went  to  Ionia,  Michigan, 
where  his  mother  and  the  family  had  preceded  him.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  shortly  after  his  arrival,  but 
both  business  and  pay  were  poor.  He  attended  to  his 
first  suit  with  fear  and  trembling,  and  his  first  fee  was 
a  swarm  of  bees.  He  was  married,  in  1842,  to  Mary 
Thayer,  of  Hoosick  Falls,  New  York.  They  have  three 
children, —  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  In  1849  was 
appointed,  by  President  Taylor,  Register  of  the  United 
States  Land  Office,  at  Ionia.  During  a  part  of  1850  and 
1851,  he  acted  as  Judge  of  Probate  of  Ionia  County.  In 
1857  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Eighth  Judicial  Circuit, 
and  was  re-elected  successively  in  1863,  1869,  and  1875. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  officers  of  the  First  National  Bank. 
He  takes  a  lively  interest  in  all  matters  that  affect  the 
prosperity  and  credit  of  the  county  or  city.  In  addition 
to  his  judicial  duties.  Judge  Lovell  finds  leisure  to  devote 
to  the  cultivation  of  fruit.  In  his  political  sentiments, 
he  is  a  Republican,  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  but  is 
not  an  active  politician.  He  is  a  Presbyterian,  free  from 
bigotry  and  far  removed  from  cant  of  any  kind.  As 
Register  of  the  United  States  Land  Office,  he  was  a  cau¬ 
tious  and  thorough  officer,  and  his  knowledge  of  law 
enabled  him  to  be  of  great  service  to  the  Government. 
He  was  called  to  the  bench  to  succeed  one  of  Michigan’s 
eminent  judges,  the  late  Hon.  George  Martin,  first  a 
Circuit  Judge  and  then  Chief- Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  He  entered  upon  its  arduous  duties  with  little 


practical  experience,  but  with  a  mind  thoroughly  imbue<l 
with  the  weight  and  importance  of  his  responsibilities. 
He  rapidly  mastered  the  details  of  judicial  duty,  and 
won  the  good  will  of  a  bar  composed  of  some  of  the 
ablest  lawyers  in  the  State.  Kent,  Ionia,  Barry,  Mont¬ 
calm,  and  Clinton  counties  have  been  at  times  in  his 
circuit;  and  among  its  practitioners  were  men  of  unsur¬ 
passed  ability  and  learning,  over  whose  deliberations, 
animosities,  and  forensic  displays.  Judge  Lovell  presided 
with  a  dignity  and  impartiality  that  won  the  respect  of 
both  lawyers  and  clients.  Judge  Lovell  is  a  plain,  un¬ 
affected  gentleman,  eminently  social  and  truly  Demo¬ 
cratic.  He  is  charitable  in  his  views  of  men  and  manners, 
and  may  truly  be  classed  among  the  distinguished  self- 
made  men  of  Michigan. 


>0" 


)WING,  STEVEN  L.,  Lawyer,  of  Grand  Haven, 
was  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Lavinda  (LanyrmanI 
Lowing,  and  was  born  in  Gainesville,  Wyoming 
County,  New  York,  January  15,  1817.  He  attended 
school  between  the  ages  of  five  and  seven  years,  and, 
when  twenty-one,  spent  two  terms  at  a  select  school. 
He  worked  in  a  brick-yard  from  the  time  he  was  eight 
until  he  was  fourteen,  after  which  he  spent  four  years 
on  a  farm.  In  September,  1836,  he  removed  to  Michi¬ 
gan,  and  was  employed  in  a  saw-mill,  in  Grand  Haven, 
until  June,  1837,  when  he  returned  to  the  State  of  New 
York.  In  1861,  upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebell¬ 
ion,  he  was  carrying  on  an  extensive  lumber  business, 
which  he  immediately  discontinued  in  order  to  enter 
the  army.  He  organized  a  military  company,  in  which, 
out  of  one  hundred  and  five  men,  sixty-three  were  over 
six  feet  high.  This  company  became  a  part  of  the  3d 
Michigan  Infantry.  Mr.  Lowing  was  enrolled  First 
Lieutenant,  but  soon  took  command  of  the  company. 
He  was  actively  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
in  which  he  was  severely  wounded  ;  also,  in  the  battles 
of  Seven  Pines,  Mine  Run,  the  first  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  Locust  Grove,  and  Williamsburg.  In  the  impor¬ 
tant  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  his  com¬ 
pany  performed  most  of  the  picketing,  skirmishing, 
and  opening  of  the  encounters.  In  the  spring  of  1862, 
he  and  his  company  were  detailed  to  run  a  saw-mill  at 
Yorktown,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  rebel  bat¬ 
tery.  From  this  mill,  they  turned  out  eighty  thousand 
feet  of  lumber  in  a  little  over  three  weeks,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  continuous  play  of  the  enemy’s  shells.  In 
1863  Captain  Lowing  was  relieved  from  service,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  his  wounds,  and  remained  in  the  barracks,  at 
Detroit,  three  or  four  months.  After  that  time,  he 
again  engaged  in  the  active  duties  of  a  soldier  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  in 
Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  in  1866.  After  practicing 


w 


.4 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


77 


alone  for  a  time,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Messrs. 
Angel  &  Cross,  and  carried  on  a  fine  business.  The 
firm  has  since  been  changed  to  Lowing  &  Cross,  Mr. 
Angel  having  withdrawn,  and  is  very  successful.  From 
time  to  time,  Mr.  Lowing  has  held  the  position  of 
Judge-Advocate,  for  which  he  is  admirably  adapted. 
In  March,  1870,  he  was  married,  at  Jamestown,  Ottawa 
County,  Michigan,  to  Emily  Markman,  a  young  lady  of 
culture.  In  his  religious  views,  he  is  liberal  and  rational. 
He  was  educated  as  a  Democrat,  but,  since  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  the  Republican  party,  he  has  been  an  advocate 
of  its  principles.  He  has  always  labored  for  the  good 
of  humanity,  but  has  never  solicited  public  office.  He 
attributes  his  success  in  life,  in  a  great  measure,  to  his 
habits  of  strict  temperance. 


- 

^iJj^jATTER,  ELIAS,  Manufacturer,  of  Grand  Rap- 
ids,  was  born  in  Dauphin  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania,  October  6,  1833.  His  parents,  Joseph 
and  Catherine  (Schupp)  Matter,  were  both 
natives  of  Dauphin  County,  where  they  married  and 
went  to  live  on  a  farm.  They  had  ten  children, — seven 
sons  and  three  daughters.  Elias  Matter  was  the  sixth 
child  and  fourth  son.  He  was  sent  to  a  German  school 
when  only  five  years  of  age,  and  afterwards  attended 
the  district  school.  When  he  was  eight  years  old,  his 
father  died;  and  the  farm  was  bought  by  his  grandfather, 
George  Matter.  For  three  years,  his  mother  remained 
on  the  place  with  the  five  youngest  children,  and  then 
married  Mr.  Blystone,  a  neighboring  farmer.  At  eleven 
years  of  age,  Elias  Matter  engaged  to  work  a  year  on  a 
farm  for  his  board  and  clothes  and  three  months’  school¬ 
ing  in  winter.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  he  went  to  learn 
the  trade  of  a  cabinet-maker;  but,  three  months  after, 
his  employer  closed  the  business,  and  Mr.  Matter  re¬ 
sumed  farm  work.  In  1850  he  engaged  to  work  for 
Philip  Bowman,  at  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years,  learning  chair 
and  cabinet  making.  He  then  became  clerk  in  a  country 
store,  where  he  remained  two  years.  In  February,  1855, 
he  went  to  Rochester,  New  York;  and,  being  well  satis¬ 
fied,  concluded  to  remain.  He  worked  for  six  months  in 
a  chair  factory,  where  he  became  acquainted  with  Samuel 
Green,  who  afterwards  opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store  in 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan;  and  engaged  Mr.  Matter  as 
clerk.  He  remained  in  Mr.  Green’s  employ  until  the 
spring  of  1857  ;  he  then  attended  school  for  three  months, 
and  taught  during  the  winter.  In  the’ summer  of  1858, 
he  was  employed  as  clerk  and  house  painter;  and,  in  the 
winter,  again  taught  school.  In  the  spring  of  1859,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  C.  C.  Comstock,  a  furniture  man¬ 
ufacturer  of  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  worked  at  piece¬ 
work  for  about  six  months,  and  then  became  foreman. 


In  the  fall  of  1862,  he  left  the  employ  ot  Mr.  Comstock, 
and  entered  into  a  partnership  with  Julius  Berkey  for 
the  purpose  of  manufacturing  furniture.  They  carried 
on  an  exclusively  wholesale  business.  In  October,  1863, 
they  sold  an  interest  to  William  A.  Berkey,  and  the  firm 
was  changed  to  Berkey  Brothers  &  Co.  For  a  time,  they 
manufactured  sashes,  doors,  and  blinds ;  but,  gradually, 
went  back  to  furniture  only.  In  February,  1870,  Mr. 
Matter  sold  his  share  of  the  business  to  his  partners ; 
and,  in  April  of  the  same  year,  purchased  the  interest 
of  T.  A.  Comstock  in  the  firm  of  Nelson,  Comstock  & 
Co.,  which  became  Nelson,  Matter  &  Co.  This  is  now 
the  largest  manufacturing  company  in  Grand  Rapids. 
Mr.  Matter  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows,  and  of  the  En¬ 
campment.  His  family  attend  the  Congregational 
Church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member.  Pie  was  mar¬ 
ried,  August  17,  1858,  to  Miss  Anna  Toot,  eldest  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Adam  Toot,  a  farmer,  of  Irving,  Barry  County, 
Michigan.  They  have  had  nine  children,  five  of  whom — ■ 
three  sons  and  two  daughters  —  are  living. 


^cCONNELL,  WILLIAM  H.,  was  born  Novem¬ 
ber  12,  1818,  in  the  vicinity  of  Westminster 
Abbey,  London,  England.  A  few  months 
after,  his  parents  removed  to  Newbury,  Berk¬ 
shire,  where  he  attended  school  until  he  was  eleven 
years  of  age.  His  services  were  then  required  in  the 
business  of  his  father,  with  whom  he  remained  two 
years.  At  that  period  an  important  letter  was  received 
from  America,  from  an  uncle  who  had  emigrated  to  this 
country,  asking  that  the  boy  be  sent  to  him  in  care  of 
another  uncle  about  to  leave  England  for  America.  It 
was  decided  that  he  should  go  to  his  mother’s  brother, 
located  on  a  farm  in  Riga,  Monroe  County,  New  York. 
Sailing  from  Bristol  on  the  4th  day  of  April,  1832,  they 
arrived  in  New  York  City  after  a  voyage  of  five  weeks. 
They  soon  accomplished  the  journey  to  Riga,  and  were 
welcomed  by  friends  eagerly  awaiting  their  arrival. 
William  McConnell  lived  with  his  uncle,  Frederick 
Davis,  on  his  farm,  until  the  following  spring,  when  he 
obtained  a  situation  in  a  store  near  by,  the  owners  of 
which  were  young  men  dealing  in  general  merchandise 
suited  for  country  trade.  He  continued  with  them  for 
nearly  a  year,  when  they  closed  out  their  business,  and 
he  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources.  In  the  meantime, 
his  parents  having  come  to  America  and  settled  in 
Rochester,  New  York,  he  embraced  the  opportunity  to 
be  at  home  once  more.  But  his  self-reliant  spirit  as¬ 
serted  itself  in  the  parental  home,  and  he  soon  obtained 
a  position  as  clerk,  in  the  well-known  house  of  Griffith 
Brothers  &  Son,  of  that  city,  which  he  retained  for  three 
years.  In  1838,  having  a  desire  to  go  West,  he  left 


78 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


Rochester  for  Fort  Wa,yne,  Indiana,  a  trading-post  with 
the  then  powerful  tribes  of  Pottawatomie  and  Miami 
Indians.  After  a  tedious  journey  on  foot  from  Fort 
Defiance,  taking  two  days  to  travel  through  a  part  of 
what  is  known  as  the  Black  Swamp,  he  arrived  at  Fort 
Wayne,  and  soon  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in  the 
trading-house  of  Bowrie  &  Peltier.  The  season  proved 
sickly;  and,  after  three  months,  Mr.  McConnell  suffered 
a  severe  attack  of  bilious  fever  and  chills.  In  Novem¬ 
ber  following,  he  left  for  Rochester,  New  York,  arriving 
at  home  a  mere  shadow  of  his  former  self ;  but,  thanks 
to  a  mother’s  care,  aided  by  a  kind  Providence,  he,  in 
time,  regained  his  health.  In  the  spring  of  1839,  the 
entire  family  removed  to  Mount  Morris,  Livingston 
County,  New  York.  Shortly  after,  Mr.  McConnell  be¬ 
came  clerk  in  a  store,  where  he  remained  until,  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  he  went  into  business  for  himself 
in  Geneseo,  a  village  six  miles  from  Mount  Morris.  At 
the  close  of  the  week’s  labor,  it  was  his  frequent  prac¬ 
tice  to  walk  to  Mount  Morris  for  the  purpose  of  spending 
the  Sabbath  at  home;  and,  on  Monday  morning,  to  re¬ 
turn  early  to  his  place  of  business.  The  enjoyment  of 
these  walks  will  never  be  forgotten,  enlivened  as  they 
were  by  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Genesee  Valley. 
At  the,  termination  of  the  year,  Mr.  McConnell  sold  out 
his  business,  which  had  been  quite  successful,  and  re¬ 
turned  to  Mount  Morris,  where  he  formed  a  copartner¬ 
ship  with  his  uncle,  Frederick  Davis,  in  1841.  After 
four  years,  he  disposed  of  his  interest  to  his  partner,  in 
September,  1845,  1°  engage  in  the  general  hardware 
trade  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  He  continued  this 
for  ten  years;  and,  by  assiduous  efforts,  secured  a  liberal 
profit.  During  this  period,  he  purchased,  on  favorable 
terms,  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  and  opened  a  store  inde¬ 
pendent  of  his  hardware  establishment.  The  unexpected 
increase  of  business  led  him  to  invite  his  brother  John 
to  come  to  Michigan,  and  assume  the  care  of  the  dry- 
goods  house.  In  1850,  for  the  purpose  of  concentrating 
both  departments  of  trade,  he  built  the  second  brick 
block  in  Grand  Rapids,  in  which  he  carried  on  a  large 
and  lucrative  trade  in  hardware,  dry  goods,  carpets,  etc., 
up  to  the  year  1856;  Mr.  McConnell  then  received  very 
flattering  overtures  from  the  senior  member  of  the  house 
of  Bowen,  McNamee  &  Co.,  to  take  an  interest  in  an 
established  house  in  New  York  City,  of  which  Henry  C. 
Bowen  was  special  partner,  tie  was  thereby  induced  to 
close  his  business  operations  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  be¬ 
came  the  junior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Ely,  Bowen  & 
McConnell.  His  expectations,  however,  were  not  real¬ 
ized.  The  panic  of  1857  developed  unlooked-for  cir¬ 
cumstances,  and  the  firm  closed  their  business  of  import¬ 
ing  and  jobbing  dry  goods.  Some  time  after,  Mr. 
McConnell  assumed  the  duties  of  correspondent  in  the 
house  of  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co.,  and  was  in  the  employ¬ 
ment  of  that  firm  until  1862'.  He  then  returned  to  Grand 


Rapids ;  and,  at  the  old  stand,  again  began  the  hardware 
trade.  In  1867  he  added  to  it  a  department  of  dry  goods, 
carpets,  etc.,  and  has  carried  on  both  branches  uninter¬ 
ruptedly  to  the  present  year.  In  the  seventeenth  year  of 
his  age,  he  became  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  Rochester,  New  York,  and  was  one  of  a 
number  that  left  that  church  to  found  the  Washington 
Street  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  same  city.  He  is  now 
a  member  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Grand 
Rapids,  with  which  he  united  in  1845.  While  residing 
in  New  York,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Madison  Square 
Presbyterian  Church,  in  that  city.  He  also  became  a 
member  of  the  Adelphic  Masonic  Lodge,  and  Secretary 
for  the  Twenty-first  Ward  Independent  Citizens’  Asso¬ 
ciation,  created  to  prevent  political  corruption  and  to 
obtain  honest  legislation.  He  has  been  twice  married; 
his  first  wife.  Miss  Eunice  W.  Hopkins,  to  whom  he  was 
married  in  1841,  was  a  niece  and  adopted  daughter 
of  Garrit  Lansing,  Jr.,  of  Albany,  New  York.  She 
died  in  Grand  Rapids  in  1846,  leaving  two  children,  a 
daughter  and  a  son,  the  latter  of  whom  died  in  1847. 
His  present  wife  was  Miss  Margaret  R.  Sommers,  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Charles  G.  Sommers,  D.  D.,  of  New  York  City. 
They  were  married  in  1849,  and  have  had  five  daughters, 
but  two  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  McConnell  is  a  man 
of  somewhat  marked  individuality  of  character.  He  is 
assiduous  in  his  business,  and  persistent  in  whatever  he 
undertakes.  He  forms  his  judgment  and  opinions  only 
after  the  most  careful  consideration;  and,  having  once 
decided  upon  a  course  of  action,  pursues  it  with  forti¬ 
tude,  devoting  his  best  energies  and  constant  efforts  to 
the  attainment  of  his  object.  Faithful  in  all  things,  he 
seldom  fails  to  achieve  success.  These  characteristics, 
combined  with  a  high  sense  of  honor,  have  contributed 
to  secure  for  Mr.  McConnell  the  confidence  of  those  with 
whom  he  has  dealt  in  New  York  and  elsewhere,  and 
have  established  for  him  a  reputation  and  credit  which, 
to  a  business  man,  are  more  valuable  and  enduring  than 
the  possession  of  wealth. 

- - 

^^^^cCONNELL,  JOHN,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 

■Til'  town  of  Newbury,  Berk- 

shire,  England,  September  22,  1821.  Plis  school 
days  were  spent  in  what  was  known,  in  his 
native  town,  as  John  Moss’  Academy;  in  which,  until 
the  tenth  year  of  his  age,  he  was  regarded  as  an  apt 
scholar.  Then  his  feeble  health  obliged  him  to  give  up 
all  study.  In  1833  his  father,  William  McConnell,  emi¬ 
grated  with  his  family  to  America,  and  settled  in 
Rochester,  New  York.  There  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
was  employed  in  mercantile  houses  in  various  capacities, 
from  that  of  errand  boy  to  clerk,  until  1842,  when,  with 
his  parents,  he  removed  to  Mount  Morris,  New  York.  In 


RliPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


79 


1844  he  decided  to  go  into  business  for  himself,  and 
opened  a  country  store  in  Danville,  New  York.  His  busi¬ 
ness  connections  were  unfortunate;  and,  in  1847, 
posed  of  his  stock,  went  to  Michigan,  and  settled  at  Grand 
Rapids.  He  was  engaged  in  various  mercantile  houses, 
and  prospered,  by  attending  to  his  work  and  keeping 
aloof  from  questionable  operations  with  which  he  was 
often  solicited  to  connect  himself.  Though  not  an  office- 
seeker,  Mr.  McConnell’s  course  in  life  won  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  they  elected 
him  Alderihan  of  his  ward  for  several  consecutive  years; 
and,  subsequently,  elected  him  Supervisor.  Both  posi¬ 
tions  he  filled  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  his  constituents, 
and  did  more  to  reduce  and  equalize  taxation  than  was 
believed  possible.  He  is,  at  present,  a  meinber  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  having  ably  filled  that  office  for 
five  years.  In  1850  he  purchased,  in  the  First  Ward  of 
Grand  Rapids,  a  tract  of  ten  acres,  then  regarded  as  a 
part  of  the  south  woods,  on  which  he  built  his  residence. 
To-day,  forming  the  corner  of  Wealthy  avenue  and  South 
Division  street,  it  presents  all  the  advantages  of  a  country 
residence  in  the  city;  while  its  elevated  position  renders 
it  healthful,  and  indicates  the  good  judgment  and  fore¬ 
sight  of  its  owner.  On  the  5th  of  October,  1848,  Mr. 
McConnell  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Escott  by  the  Rev. 
,F.  H.  Cummings,  then  rector  of  St.  Mark’s  Episcopal 
Church  at  Grand  Rapids.  They  have  three  children, — 
two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.- 
McConnell  are  prominent  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Church ;  and,  with  their  children,  are  regular  attendants 
at  St.  Mark’s,  of  which  Mr.  McConnell  has  been  Vestry¬ 
man  seven  years.  He  has  also  been  one  of  the  principal 
founders  of  Grace  Church.  He  is  now  a  Trustee  of  St. 
Mark’s  Home  and  Hospital,  at  Grand  Rapids,  of  which 
Mrs.  McConnell  is  one  of  the  managers.  In  1848  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and  gradu¬ 
ally  advanced  to  the  highest  degree  of  the  original 
American  system.  He  became  a  Knight  Templar  in 
1856,  among  the  first  in  the  State  who  attained  that 
degree.  Mr.  McConnell  has  identified  himself,  to  some 
extent,  with  the  various  public  improvements  which 
have  benefited  Grand  Rapids,  having  been  a  stockholder 
and  Director  in  the  Holland  Railroad  Company  until  its 
consolidation  with  the  Chicago  and  Michigan  Lake  Shore 
Railroad.  He  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  city,  and 
is  known  as  a  man  of  good  practical  sense  and  sound 
judgment.  Possessed  of  careful  and  conservative  busi¬ 
ness  qualifications,  with  abundant  energy  and  an  indom¬ 
itable  will,  he  is  dismayed  by  no  obstacles,  and  is  equal 
to  any  emergency.  He  has  had  his  .good  and  his  evil 
times;  and  has  firmly  met  the  latter,  not  to  be  conquered, 
but  to  conquer.  In  his  social  intercourse,  he  has  won  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  friends,  and  of  those  who, 
during  his  business  life,  were  his  customers;  while  in  the 
official  positions  he  has  occupied,  his  course  has  been 


found  worthy  of  approval.  In  1871  he  retired  from  acti\  e 
business,  and  now  lives,  peaceably  and  happily,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  independent  circumstances  and  pleasant 
relations  with  friends  and  neighbors.  He  has  firm  faith 
in  the  Christian  religion,  to  which  he  has  always  given  his 
support.  Mr.  McConnell  is  regarded,  where  he  is  best 
known,  as  an  unambitious,  but  thoroughly  religious  and 
honest,  man;  and,  as  such,  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  this 
record  of  self-made  men. 


^ttoRAN,  JAMES  LOUIS,  Chief  of  Police  of 
^‘T  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
January  22,  1832.  He  was  the  third  child  in  a 
family  of  thirteen,  whose  parents  were  Louis 
and  Maria  (May)  Moran.  When  he  was  five  years  of 
age,  he  went  with  his  mother  from  Detroit  to  Grand 
Rapids.  They  traveled  the  entire  distance  on  Indian 
jDonies,  guided  by  Indians,  and  following  an  Indian 
trail.  They  camped  in  the  woods  at  night;  and,  after  a 
tedious  journey  of  eight  days,  reached  their  destination. 
After  about  two  months,  the  family  removed  to  Middle- 
ville,  and  settled  among  a  tribe  of  Chippewa  Indians; 
the  village  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  forty  ledges. 
Here  they  remained  four  years.  In  1814  they  returned 
to  Grand  Rapids,  and  rented  the  old  Eagle  Hotel. 
Here  James  remained  until  he  reached  the  age  of  fifteen, 
when  he  engaged  as  deck-hand  on  one  of  the  old 
steamers  on  the  Grand  River.  He  acted  in  this  capacity 
for  about  six  years,  and  then  engaged  as  pilot  on  one 
of  the  boats  of  the  Grand  Rapids  Transportation  Com¬ 
pany,  receiving  the  highest  salary  ever  paid  to  any  pilot 
in  that  section  of  the  State.  After  two  years,  during 
which  time  he  served  the  company’s  interests  faithfully, 
he  bought  a  one-third  interest  in  one  of  the  steamers, 
known  as  the  “Nebraska,”  and  filled  the  positions  of 
Captain  and  pilot  for  about  three  years.  At  that  time, 
on  account  of  the  reductions  in  freight  and  the  stringency 
of  the  money  market,  he  lost  all  he  had  invested.  In  the 
fall  of  1862,  he  was  appointed  ensign  on  board  the  gun¬ 
boat  “La  Fayette,”  which  belonged  to  the  Mississippi 
squadron,  under  Admiral  Porter,  the  Executive  Officer 
being  William  Wall.  After  about  eleven  months  of 
service,  he  was  called  home  by  a  dispatch,  stating  that 
his  parents  were  both  dangerously  ill.  Receiving  the 
consent  of  Admiral  Porter,  he  immediately  started  foi 
Grand  Rapids,  and,  on  arriving,  found  both  his  father 
and  mother  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  so  seriously 
affected  as  to  require  his  entire  attention.  After  the 
lapse  of  six  years  of  suffering,  death  relieved  them.  By 
the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Moran  fell  heir  to  consider¬ 
able  property  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  which  he  exchanged 
for  valuable  property  in  Grand  Rapids.  In  1871  he 
organized  the  first  police  force  in  the  city,  of  which  he 


So 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


was  made  Chief  by  the  City  Council.  This  position  he 
still  holds,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all.  His  personal  appear¬ 
ance  is  prepossessing.  He  is  squarely  built;  six  feet, 
one  inch  in  height,  and  weighs  about  two  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  pounds.  He  has  dark  eyes,  and  black 
hair  dashed  with  gray.  He  is  especially  fitted  for  the 
position  he  occupies.  He  never  takes  a  prominent  part 
in  politics,  but  performs  faithfully  his  duties  as  a  citizen. 
He  is  a  man  of  strong  sense  and  much  decision  of 
character — unyielding  when  convinced  of  the  justice  of 
his  cause.  Mr.  Moran  was  married,  June  4,  1853,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Ann  Robbins,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts. 
They  have  one  son  living,  Charles  Louis,  who  is  acting 
as  clerk  and  detective  for  the  police  department. 


IVKEE,  JAMES  HENRY,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
i  was  born  in  Arlington,  Vermont,  June  19, 
1823.  Plis  family  was  originally  from  Scot- 
land;  but  left  that  country  in  the  time  of  the 
Covenanters,  and  stopped  during  one  generation  in  the 
northern  part  of  Ireland,  whence  they  emigrated  to 
America  about  the  year  1740,  and  settled  in  Connecti¬ 
cut.  His  father,  Aaron  McKee,  was  a  physician,  who 
practiced  medicine  for  over  fifty  years,  and  lived  to  be 
eighty-one  years  old.  His  mother,  Martha  (Henry) 
McKee,  was  a  daughter  of  William  Henry,  a  partici¬ 
pant  in  the  battle  of  Bennington.  This  battle  was 
fought  within  sight  of  his  home;  the  American  army, 
under  General  Stark,  encamped  on  his  farm  the  previ¬ 
ous  night.  Mr.  McKee  pursued  his  preparatory  studies 
at  Bennington  and  Manchester;  and,  also,  at  Pitts¬ 
field,  Massachusetts.  In  1844  he  graduated  from  Yale 
College,  after  which  he  entered  a  mercantile  house  in 
New  York  City,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He 
then  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  John 
Slosson;  continued  his  studies  under  the  instruction  of 
Augustus  Schell,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1848. 
In  1849  he  visited  Michigan  for  the  purpose  of  explor¬ 
ing  certain  lands  which  his  father  had  located  in  the 
central  part  of  that  State;  and,  in  1852,  he  settled  at 
Grand  Rapids,  engaging  in  the  practice  of  his  profes¬ 
sion,  and  in  the  real  estate  business  in  connection  with 
lion.  John  Ball.  Mr.  McKee  has  been  connected  with  the 
educational  interests  of  the  city  for  more  than  twenty 
years;  and,  during  the  greater  portion  of  that  time,  has 
been  a  School  Trustee  and  Secretary  of  the  Board  of 
Edueation.  He  was  the  author  of  the  school  law  of 
Grand  Rapids, — a  special  act,  under  whieh  the  public 
schools  are  now  conducted.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  has  been  vestryman 
and  church  warden  for  many  years.  He  has  been  iden¬ 
tified  with  the  Republican  party  since  its  first  organi¬ 
zation.  In  1856,  Mr.  McKee  married  Hannah  Langdon, 


a  native  of  Vermont.  They  have  had  four  children. 
The  eldest  son,  William  H.,  a  graduate  of  Michigan 
University,  and  of  Columbia  Law  School,  in  New  York, 
is  an  active  member  of  the  legal  profession  in  Chicago, 
Illinois. 


;cBRIDE,  GEORGE  WASHINGTON,  Lawyer, 

!  of  Grand  Haven,  is  the  son  of  Neil  S.  and 
Mary  (Colista)  McBride,  and  was  born  Septem- 
ber  26,  1845,  Keene  Township,  Coshocton 
County,  Ohio.  Plis  early  education  was  obtained  in  a  dis¬ 
trict  school  in  Deerfield  Township,  Lenawee  County, 
Michigan.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  15th  Michigan  In¬ 
fantry,  and  was  actively  engaged  in  all  the  battles  with  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  from  that  of  Shiloh  to  the  surren¬ 
der  of  Johnson,  in  1865.  He  attended  Adrian  College, 
Michigan,  from  1865  to  1869;  after  which  he  became  trav¬ 
eling  agent  for  the  Michigan  State  Insurance  Company, 
of  Adrian,  and  the  Republic  Insurance  Company,  of 
Chicago,  Illinois.  He  studied  law  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich¬ 
igan;  attended  one  course  of  lectures,  and  then  entered 
the  office  of  Eldrich  &  Walker.  Pie  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  September,  1871,  and  removed  to  Holland, 
Michigan,  where  he  practiced  law  until  the  fall  of  1876. 
From  1873  lo  1876,  he  was  City  Attorney,  and,  in  1874, 
was  appointed  Deputy  Collector  of  Customs.  From 
Plolland,  he  removed  to  Grand  Haven,  where  he  was 
elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the  county.  This 
office  he  still  holds.  Pie  was  married,  November  10, 
1873,  at  Angola,  Indiana,  to  Martha  E.  Plendry,  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Hon.  A.  N.  Hendry,  a  distinguished  member  of 
the  Indiana  Senate.  As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  McBride  is  earnest 
and  reliable,  and  speaks  with  ease  and  directness.  As 
a  man,  he  is  upright,  useful,  and  consistent.  He  has 
always  voted  the  Republican  ticket. 


^j^ARVIN,  LA  RAY,  M.  D.,  Homeopathic  Physi- 
wltl*  cian  and  Surgeon,  of  Muskegon,  was  born  in  Erie 
County,  New  York,  November  21,  1848,  and  is 
the  son  of  the  late  Harvey  and  Amelia  (Tol- 
man)  Marvin.  His  father  practiced  medicine  in  the 
States  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  for  a  number  of 
years.  Pie  then  removed  to  the  West,  and  settled  in 
Whitehall,  Michigan,  where  he  died  in  September, 
1871.  La  Ray  Marvin  obtained  his  early  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Erie  County,  New  York,  and 
graduated  from  Westfield  Academy  at  the  age  of  eigh¬ 
teen.  In  the  spring  of  1867,  he  entered  the  office  of 
Drs.  Carr  &  Porter,  of  Galesburg,  Illinois,  where  he 
pursued  a  rigorous  course  of  medical  reading  for  over  a 
year.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  and  became  a  student 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICllIGAxN. 


8i 


ill  the  office  of  George  W.  Eoote,  a  prominent  homeo¬ 
pathic  physician.  In  October,  1868,  he  entered  the 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  February,  1870.  The  same  year,  he  settled  in  Mus¬ 
kegon,  where  he  has  continued  to  reside.  Pie  is  a 
Knight  Templar,  and  also  a  member  of  the  order  of 
Knights  of  Pythias.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  secured  a  large  and  lucrative  practice,  which  continues 
to  increase.  His  fine  social  qualities  make  him  univer¬ 
sally  popular;  while  he  is  esteemed  for  his  professional 
skill  and  scholarly  attainments.  May  4,  1871,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Dyre,  an  estimable  lady  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 


I  LEER,  JxVMES,  Lawyer,  Grand  Rapids,  Michi- 
i  gan,  was  born  on  the  nth  of  February,  1823, 
at  Winsted,  Connecticut.  His  father,  Joseph 
'fi'*  Miller,  was,  for  twenty-seven  years,  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Litchfield  County.  He  was  a  man  of  literary 
tastes  and  acquirements,  a  fine  lawyer,  and  a  cultivated 
gentleman  of  the  old  school.  He  came  to  Richland, 
Michigan,  in  1834,  where  he  bought  a  farm,  and  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Miller 
was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Eli  Richards.  Mr.  Miller 
acquired,  in  the  schools  of  Connecticut  and  Michigan, 
a  thorough  rudimentary  and  academical  education.  His 
situation  on  the  frontier  deprived  him  of  a  more  com¬ 
plete  course;  but  he  has  ever  considered  himself  fortu¬ 
nate  to  have  had,  at  this  period,  a  kind  and  competent 
instructor  in  his  father,  who,  at  great  pains  and  sacri¬ 
fice,  led  him  through  a  course  of  classical  and  profes¬ 
sional  study,  lasting  for  several  years.  About  1841  Mr. 
Miller  went  to  the  village  of  Kalamazoo,  and  entered 
the  law  office  of  Stuart  &  Miller.  In  1842  he  was 
Deputy  County  Clerk;  retaining,  however,  for  about 
two  years,  his  connection  with  the  law  firm.  Pie  then 
came  to  Grand  Rapids,  and,  having  been  admitted  to 
the  bar,  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  D.  Rathbone,  a 
leading  lawyer  of  the  place,  and  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  It  may  be  said  of  Mr.  Miller,  that  he 
has  never  encouraged  litigation,  but  rather  has  made  it 
his  aim  to  further  the  speedy  adjustment  of  all  difficul¬ 
ties  in  which  his  clients  are  involved.  In  this  he  has 
not  been  unsuccessful,  having  effected  many  friendly 
settlements  and  allayed  much  bitter  feeling.  This  fea¬ 
ture  in  his  practice  has  not  lessened  his  success  as  a 
lawyer.  Mr.  Miller  was  married,  in  1846,  to  Mary  Ada, 
daughter  of  Sidney  Smith,  of  Grand  Rapids.  Mr. 
Smith  was  a  lawyer,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  village 
of  Ada,  in  Kent  County,  Michigan.  Mr.  Miller  has 
never  been  a  politician,  and  has  never  held  an  office  of 
profit  or  emolument,  though  occasionally  accepting  of 
public  position  at  the  solicitation  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

65 


At  present,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works 
of  his  city.  His  habits  and  tastes  are  scholarly  and  do¬ 
mestic;  he  is  unambitious,  except  to  lead  an  honorable, 
useful,  and  worthy  life,  loving  God,  and  his  neighbor. 


iOREHOUSE,  ALBERT  F.,  of  Portland,  Ionia 
County,  was  born  in  Livingston,  Essex  County, 
New  Jersey,  January  13,  1818,  and  is  the  son 
of  David  W.  and  Nancy  (P'arrand)  Morehouse. 
He  is  of  Puritan  descent,  and  the  sixth  lineal  descend¬ 
ant  of  the  first  Morehouse  who  landed  in  America.  His 
father  died,  February  10,  1873,  at  Portland,  Michigan, 
in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  and  his  mother  the  year  follow¬ 
ing.  Albert  F.  Morehouse  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  State.  Evincing  a  marked  taste  for 
mechanics,  he  learned  the  carpenter  and  joiner’s  trade, 
which  he  carried  on,  successively,  in  Newark,  New  Jer¬ 
sey;  Troy,  New  York;  New  Orleans,  Louisiana;  and 
Portland,  Michigan.  He  removed  to  the  last-named 
place  May  24,  1843,  where  he  still  resides.  He  has  not 
worked  at  his  trade  since  1863.  In  1853  he  was  elected 
Supervisor  of  Portland  Township  ;  was  re-elected  in  1854, 
and  again  in  1862.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
three  terms,  of  four  years  each,  and  has  three  times  held 
the  office  of  Township  Clerk.  He  has  always  identified 
himself  with  the  educational  interests  of  the  village, 
having  held  the  office  of  School  Director  twenty  years. 
In  1863-64  he  held  the  position  of  Sergeant-at-arms  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  State.  Pie  is  an 
active  worker  in  local  literary  circles,  being  President 
of  the  Portland  Library  and  Literary  Association.  Mr. 
Morehouse  has  always  been  a  Republican.  lie  was  the 
first  of  his  branch  of  the  family  to  unite  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  member  since  1835. 
married,  November  6,  1839,  Sarah  C.  Freeman,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Aneke  Jans.  They  have  had  a  family  of 
five  sons  and  four  daughters.  Of  the  former,  the  eldest 
served  in  the  loth  Michigan  Cavalry  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  The  second  son,  Lewis  Cass  Morehouse,  is  a 
Baptist  minister  in  Chicago.  With  the  exception  of  one 
son,  who  died  when  he  was  eight  years  old,  the  family 
are  all  living.  Mr.  Morehouse  is  now  engaged  in  business 
of  a  miscellaneous  character,  including  the  duties  devolv¬ 
ing  upon  him  as  Notary  Public,  Conveyancer  of  Deeds, 
Claim  Agent,  etc.  Few  men  are  better  known  in  Port¬ 
land  than  ’Squire  Morehouse,  and  no  resident  of  the 
town  is  more  deservedly  popular.  At  an  early  age  he 
was  called  from  the  vocation  which  he  had  chosen  to 
attend  to  the  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resides.  Although  not  educated  in  the  law,  his  ready 
apprehension  of  its  rules  and  the  principles  of  govern¬ 
ment  insured  his  success.  His  religious  views  have 
formed  his  basis  of  action,  and  his  integrity  and  fidelity 


82 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


have  long  held  the  confidence  of  the  people.'  His 
service  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Supervisor,  etc.,  in  his 
town  and  county,  has  been  of  marked  efficiency.  His 
executive  ability  in  the  settlement  of  estates  is  con¬ 
stantly  called  into  requisition ;  and,  last,  but  not  least, 
his  untiring  efforts  in  an  official  capacity  for  the  educa¬ 
tion  of  the  young  can  be  properly  appreciated  only  in 
succeeding  years. 


J:ORRISON,  WALTER  B.,  M.  D.,  Muskegon, 

[i  was  born  May  6,  1838,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Mich- 
•<i!-*vyv  ^  igan.  He  is  the  son  of  Jefferson  Morrison,  one 
**  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Grand  Rapids,  who 
removed  there  in  1835,  when  the  place  was  only  an 
Indian  trading  post.  Mr.  Morrison  lost  his  mother 
when  he  was  ten  years  of  age.  His  own  health  being 
delicate,  he  was  not  kept  closely  at  school,  although  he 
received  such  advantages  as  the  vicinity  afforded,  until 
he  was  twenty.  At  that  time,  his  father  resolved  to  give 
him  a  medical  education.  He  pursued  his  studies  from 
1859  to  1861  with  Dr.  Bliss,  now  of  Washington  City, 
and  at  the  Michigan  University.  At  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  the  Rebellion,  he  enlisted  in  the  3d  Michigan 
Regiment  as  hospital  steward,  and  served  with  great 
credit.  In  August,  1862,  he  was  commissioned  Assist¬ 
ant-Surgeon  of  the  same  regiment.  He  remained  in 
the  field  three  years,  when  he  was  mustered  out  of  serv¬ 
ice  with  his  regiment.  He  then  went  on  duty  in  the 
General  Hospital  at  Baltimore.  In  addition  to  this 
work,  he  was  detailed  to  the  reception,  distribution,  and 
care  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  who  were  arriving  from 
General  Sheridan’s  army,  during  those  memorable  bat¬ 
tles  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  After  the  close  of  his 
labors  as  surgeon.  Dr.  Morrison  continued  his  medical 
studies  at  New  York  and  Brooklyn.  He  graduated  from 
the  Long  Lsland  College,  Brooklyn,  and  then  settled  at 
Muskegon,  Michigan.  Here  his  untiring  energy  and 
ardent  love  for  his  profession  have  won  for  him  the 
highest  rank  among  his  compeers.  He  is  an  active, 
zealous  worker  in  the  Democratic  party.  In  October, 
1868,  Dr.  Morrison  married  Miss  Hattie  E.  Moore,  of 
Alleghany  County,  New  York.  Her  death  occurred  in 
,1871.  In  1874  he  married  Mrs.  Sara  C.  Barnes,  of 
Boston,  who  is  the  great-granddaughter  of  Major  But- 
terick,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  He  is  Master  of  Muske¬ 
gon  Lodge,  No.  140,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
of  the  State.  He  has  been  very  active  in  the  temper¬ 
ance  cause  instituted  by  Dr.  H.  A.  Reynolds,  of  Bangor, 
Maine,  under  the  red  ribbon  badge,  being  President  of  the 
club.  By  his  untiring  efforts,  a  magnificent  brick  building 
for  club-room  and  opera-house  has  been  erected  in  Mus¬ 
kegon,  costing  not  less  than  twenty  thousand  dollars. 


'cREYNOLDS,  COLONEL  A.  T.,  Lawyer, 

^  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Dungannon,  County  of  Tyrone,  Ireland, 
V'-'  on  the  25th  of  December,  1808.  In  August, 
1830,  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  settled  in 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  There  he  became  a  member 
of  the  “Duquesne  Grays,”  the  first  volunteer  military 
company  formed  west  of  the  Alleghanies  after  the 
close  .  of  the  War  of  1812.  Of  this  company,  Mr. 
McReynolds  was  elected  Ensign,  and  with  it  volun¬ 
teered  to  assist  General  Scott  in  suppressing  nullifica¬ 
tion  in  South  Carolina.  In  1833  Mr.  McReynolds 
removed  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  of  which  State  he  has 
since  been  a  citizen.  In  1834  he  was  appointed,  with 
the  rank  of  Major,  on  the  staff  of  Major-General 
Williams,  who  commanded  all  the  militia  forces  in  the 
then  Territory  of  Michigan.  In  the  winter  of  1834-35, 
Major  McReynolds  was  one  of  four  who  organized, 
under  the  name  of  the  “Brady  Guards,”  the  first  vol¬ 
unteer  company  of  militia  that,  after  the  War  of  1812, 
w'as  formed  in  Michigan.  Having  passed  a  sufficient 
time  in  the  study  of  law,  in  1840  he  was  exam¬ 
ined  and  licensed  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  Wayne 
County,  and  soon  attained  considerable  distinction  in 
his  profession.  His  tastes,  however,  being  decidedly 
luilitary,  he  took  a  leading  part  in  the  organization  of 
the  “Montgomery  Guards,”  of  Detroit,  and  was  elected 
their  first  Captain.  At  this  time,  he  was  acting  as 
Colonel  of  the  first  regiment  of  Michigan  Militia,  of 
which  regiment  he  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  or  Colonel 
for  eleven  years.  In  1847  coihmissioned,  by 

President  Polk,  a  Captain  of  dragoons  in  the  United 
States  Army ;  and,  resigning  his  seat  in  the  Senate  of 
Michigan,  served  under  General  Scott  during  the  war 
of  1847-48  with  Mexico.  His  troop,  with  that  of  Cap¬ 
tain,  subsequently  General,  Philip  Kearney,  acted  as 
General  Scott’s  body-guard  during  the  Mexican  War; 
and,  in  1848,  raised  the  American  flag  in  the  City 
of  Mexico.  Colonel  McReynold’s  bravery  in  that  cam¬ 
paign  has  been  vividly  described  by  the  press  of  the 
country,  he  having  received  complimentary  recognition 
from  the  President  and  Senate  of  the  United  States  for 
the  celebrated  charge  of  Kearney  and  McReynold’s 
dragoons  on  the  gates  of  Mexico,  in  which  he  bore  a 
conspicuous  part,  and  in  which  he  and  General  Kearney 
were  both  disabled  for  life.  At  the  close  of  the  war.  Colo¬ 
nel  McReynolds  returned  to  Detroit,  and  resumed  the 
practice  of  his  legal  profession.  Thirteen  years  afterwards, 
on  the  call  of  President  Lincoln,  he  tendered  his  serv¬ 
ices  to  the  United  States  Government;  was  commis¬ 
sioned  a  Colonel  by  the  President,  and  organized  and 
led  to  the  field  the  “Lincoln  Cavalry,”  the  first  regi¬ 
ment  of  that  arm  of  the  service  enlisted  for  the  Union. 
During  1861,  he  commanded  this  regiment;  and,  sub¬ 
sequently,  a  brigade  for  two  years,  and  a  division  for 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


six  months;  when,  his  term  of  service  having  expired, 
he  was  honorably  discharged.  Removing  to  Grand 
Rapids,  he  again  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law.  No 
less  in  politics  than  in  w'ar,  has  Colonel  McReynolds 
taken  a  prominent  part.  He  w'as,  in  1838—39,  an  Aider- 
man  of  the  city  of  Detroit;  and  represented  his  district 
in  the  State  Legislature  during  the  session  of  1839-40. 
He  was  a  delegate  from  Michigan  to  the  Harrisburg 
Convention  of  December,  1839,  that  nominated  General 
Harrison  as  the  Whig  candidate  for  the  Presidency.  Un¬ 
der  President  Tyler,  he  was  Indian  Agent  for  three  years ; 
and,  in  1846,  being  elected  State  Senator  for  the  city  of 
Detroit,  served  until  1847,  when  he  resigned  to  participate 
in  the  Mexican  War,  In  1851  he  was  elected  Prosecuting 
Attorney  of  Wayne  County;  and,  in  1852,  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education  of  Detroit,  and  the  first  Presi¬ 
dent  of  that  Board  under  its  charter.  By  President 
Johnson,  he  was  appointed  United  States  District-Attor- 
ney,  at  Grand  Rapids,  for  the  United  States  Western 
District  of  Michigan;  and,  as  the  candidate  of  the 
Democratic  Liberal  party  of  the  Eifth  Congressional 
District,  ran  for  Congress  in  1872.  In  1874  ^6  removed 
to  Muskegon,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  was  elected 
Prosecuting  Attorney  for  Muskegon  County.  He  served 
the  term  with  satisfaction  to  his  constituents  and  the 
citizens  at  large  of  ' that  county,  but  declined  to  be  a 
candidate  for  re-election.  In  January,  l877)  Colonel 
McReynolds  returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  and  resumed 
the  practice  of  law.  He  is  now  President  of  the  State 
Association  of  Mexican  Veterans.  With  a  reputation 
not  confined  to  the  State,  but  known  throughout  the 
Union,  his  name  will  long  be  honored  by  the  citizens 
of  his  adopted  country,  not  only  for  his  bravery  in  war, 
but  for  the  satisfactory  performance  of  every  duty  to 
which  he  has  been  assigned  in  civil  life. 


ORGAN,  LESTER  C.,  Lumberman,  Muske- 
:  gon,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Le  Roy,  Genesee 
llj'Wp'  County,  New  York,  June  13,  1822.  His  parents, 
William  and  Sophia  (Cole)  Morgan,  were  farm¬ 
ers;  his  father  being  of  Welsh  and  his  mother  of  Scotch 
descent.  Their  family  consisted  of  seven  children, — four 
sons  and  three  daughters.  Mr.  Morgan,  the  second  son, 
received  a  district  school  education,  and  spent  one  win¬ 
ter  in  a  select  school.  -When  twenty  years  of  age  he 
began  teaching,  and  accumulated,  during  the  winter, 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  dollars,  all  but  four  of  which 
he  invested  in  an  old  mill-site.  There,  in  partnership 
with  his  father,  he  built  and  conducted  a  linseed-oil 
mill.  Plaving  a  desire  to  go  West,  he  sold  his  interests 
in  New  York  State,  and  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he 
remained  eleven  years.  During  the  first  three  years,  he 
was  engaged  in  the  wood  and  coal  business,-  the  next 


S3 


three,  in  the  grain  trade;  and,  subsequently  was  em¬ 
ployed  as  post-sutler,  in  Camp  Fry,  Chicago.  After 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  spent  two  years  in  selecting  a 
place  in  which  to  settle.  In  1867  he  removed  to  Mus¬ 
kegon,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  buying  and 
selling  pine  lands,  and  in  locating  lands  for  others.  Mr. 
Morgan  owned  the  site  of  the  village  which  now  bears 
his  name,  but  sold  one-half  of  it  to  Mr.  S.  N.  Wilcox,  of 
Chicago.  Besides  .laying  it  out,  he  erected  the  first  and 
most  substantial  buildings  and  saw-mills.  He  is  a  stock¬ 
holder  in  the  Wilcox  Lumber  Company  of  the  place. 
He  was  a  Whig,  but  has  been  a  Republican  since  the 
organization  of  that  party  in  1855.  Mr.  Morgan  is  a 
temperance  advocate,  and  exerts  a  strong  influence  over 
younger  men.  He  was  brought  up  an  Old-school  Presby¬ 
terian,  but  is  not  a  member  of  any  church,  although  a 
believer  and  supporter’  of  religion.  He  was  married,  in 
Pembroke,  Genesee  County,  New  York,  September  4, 
1845,  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Long,  granddaughter  of  David 
Long,  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians  in  that  section  of  the 
country,  and  widely  known  throughout  the  State.  Her 
father  was  a  prominent  politician,  and  extensive  farmer. 
They  have  four  children, —  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 
The  eldest,  James  L.  Morgan,  is  a  resident  of  Morgan, 
where  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  since 

1875- 

- - 


ORSE,  HON.  ALLEN  B.,  of  Ionia,  Michigan, 
i  the  eldest  of  the  nine  children  of  Hon.  John 
L.  and  Susan  (Cowles)  Morse,  was  born  Janu- 
ary  7,  1839,  in  Otisco,  Ionia  County,  Michigan. 
His  father,  now  of  Wright  County,  Iowa,  began  to  earn 
his  own  living  at  seventeen ;  he  married  at  nineteen,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Ionia  County.  While  in 
Michigan  he  held  various  township  offices;  was  Judge  of 
the  Probate  Court  for  twelve  years,  and  a  member  of 
the  State  Legislature.  In  Iowa,  he  has  been  County 
Judge  and  County  Auditor,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Iowa  Assembly.  The  education  of  Allen  B.  Morse  was 


carried  on  mostly  at  home;  he  was  an  apt  scholar,  but 
loved  sport  too  well  to  be  a  close  student;  he  excelled 
in  mathematics,  English  literature,  and  botany, — the 
last  is  still  his  favorite  study.  He  took  a  two  years’ 
course  at  the  Agricultural  College,  taught  a  few  months, 
and,  in  the  spring  of  i860,  commenced  the  study  of  law. 
In  1861  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  i6th  Regiment 
of  Michigan  Infantry.  In  December,  1863,  he  was  trans¬ 
ferred  to  the  2ist  Regiment,  and,  soon  after  the  battle 


of  Chickamauga,  assigned  to  duty  as  Acting  Assistant 
Adjutant-General,  on  the  staff  of  Colonel  F.  d .  Sheiman, 
who  commanded  the  first  brigade  of  Sheiidan  s  division. 
While  in  this  position,  he  lost  his  arm  at  the  storming 
of  Mission  Ridge.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Hanover 
Court  House,  Gaines’  Mill,  Pope’s  battle  of  Manassas, 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


S4 


Antietam,  Chickamanga,  and  in  numerous  skirmishes. 
On  severing  his  connection  with  his  staff,  he  received 
the  following  flattering  testimonial: 

“Head-quarters  First  Brigade,  Second  Division,  1 
“  Fourth  Army  Corps,  I 

“Camp  Laibold,  East  Tenn.,  Feb.  9,  1S64.  J 
“  To  whom  it  may  coticern :  The  undersigned  takes  great 
pleasure  in  bearing  testimony  to  the  ability  and  bravery 
of  Lieutenant  A.  B.  Morse,  Adjutant  of  the  21st  Michi¬ 
gan  Infantry  Volunteers.  Lieutenant  Morse  was,  by  my 
order,  detailed  as  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of 
my  brigade,  and  was  selected  by  me  for  this  responsible 
position,  because  of  his  peculiar  fitness  and  ability  to 
discharge  the  duties  which  would  devolve  upon  him. 
Ever  at  the  post  of  duty,  either  in  the  office  or  the  field, 
he  won  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  superior  offi¬ 
cers,  and  the  love  and  respect  of  his  juniors.  1  respect¬ 
fully  recommend  him  to  the  consideration  of  his  country 
and  Government,  for  any  position  in  the  invalid  corps 
which  he  may  desire.  F.  T.  Sherman, 

‘  ‘  Col.  88/V5  Illinois  Infantiy  Vols. ,  County  Brigade.  ' 
“First  Lieut.  A.  B.  Morse,  Ionia,  Michigan.” 


“Head-quarters  Second  Division,  \ 

“  Fourth  Army  Corps,  l 

“ Loudon,  Tenn.,  February  ii,  1S64.  J 
“I  take  great  pleasure  in  approving  the  wishes  and  rec¬ 
ommendations  of  Colonel  Sherman.  Lieutenant  Morse, 
while  in  my  division,  proved  himself  to  be  an  able,  effi¬ 
cient,  and  gallant  officer;  and  was  wounded  while  lead¬ 
ing  his  men. in  the  storming  of  Mission  Ridge. 

“  P.  H.  SuERiDA'N,  Alajor- General.” 
Lieutenant  Morse  concluded  his  law  studies  on  his 
return  home,  and  has  practiced  since  February,  1865,  at 
Ionia.  In  1866  he  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  for 
Ionia  County.  In  1874  he  was  the  Democratic  candi¬ 
date  for  Senator  from  his  district,  and  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  eleven,  in  a 
strong  Republican  district.  While  in  the  Senate  he  was 
Chairman  of  the  Military  Committee,  and  a  member  of 
the  Committee  on  State  Affairs  and  Constitutional  Amend¬ 
ments.  Mr.  Morse  is  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  field  sports; 
all  his  spare  hours,  at  the  projrer  season,  are  spent  with 
rod  and  gun,  or  in  the  study  of  the  flora  of  forest  and 
field.  He  is  of  medium  size,  and  of  active  tempera¬ 
ment.  As  a  boy,  he  thought  deeply,  and  was  well  in¬ 
formed  on  political  subjects.  Taking  the  side  of  humanity 
and  liberty,  he  early  became  a  Union  soldier,  and  showed 
a  courage  that  proved  him  worthy  to  be  one  of  the 
life-guard  of  a  great  nation.  On  his  return  from  the 
war, — made  victorious  by  the  valor  of  soldiers  like  him¬ 
self,  and  bearing  its  scars, — a  grateful  people  were  swift 
to  honor  him  with  public  positions.  His  opinions  are 
tenaciously  held  and  fearlessly  declared.  He  is  an  expert 
in  his  profession  ;  seizing  the  material  points  of  a  case, 
he  examines  and  masters  them,  drawing  conclusions  that 
are  rarely  erroneous.  In  addressing  a  court,  jury,  or  a 
public  meeting,  he  is  fluent,  clear,  and  forcible.  He  has 
already  an  extensive  practice.  Mr.  Morse  is  strong  in 
his  friendships,  and  frank  in  his  animosities ;  so  decided 


are  his  convictions  and  characteristics  that  his  presence 
is  acknowledged  wherever  he  moves.  He  married,  No¬ 
vember  25,  1874,  Frances  Marian  Van  Allen,  daughter 
of  George  W.  Van  Allen.  They  have  two  children, — a 
son  and  a  daughter. 


;  ORRIS,  ROBERT  W.,  was  born  in  New  York 
on  the  Lflth  of  October,  1816,  and  died  at 
■  Grand  Rapids  on  the  5th  of  May,  1866.  When 
eighteen  years  old,  having  saved  some  money 
by  the  exercise  of  great  economy,  he  went  to  Michigan, 
and  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Oakland  County.  In 
1837  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids  Township,  and,  in 
partnership  with  L.  Covell  and  W.  I.  Blakely,  engaged 
in  business  in  a  saw-mill,  six  miles  from  what  was  then 
the  village  of  Grand  Rapids.  In  1838  he  dissolved  this 
connection,  and,  removing  to  Muskegon,  entered  into 
partnership  with  Martin  Ryerson,  in  manufacturing  lum¬ 
ber,  which  the  firm  sold  in  Chicago,  where  they  had  two 
large  lumber-yards.  They  owned,  in  course  of  time,  two 
large  saw-mills  at  Muskegon ;  vessels  to  carry  lumber  to 
Chicago,  and  the  first  steamer  that  navigated  Lake 
Michigan  between  those  localities.  They  began,  in  1838, 
with  a  capital  of  but  six  thousand  dollars;  and,  twenty- 
seven  years  later,  when  Mr.  IMorris  retired,  he  received 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  as  his  share.  In 
the  spring  of  1865,  Mr.  Morris  removed  to  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  purchased  twenty  acres  of  land,  with  improve¬ 
ments  that  made  it  the  finest  place  of  residence  in  the 
city.  This  property  is,  at  present,  worth  five  times  as 
much  as  it  cost.  During  his  residence  at  Muskegon,  Mr. 
Morris  was  Mayor  of  that  city  six  years,  and  also  held 
minor  offices.  He  attended  the  Congregational  Church, 
but  was  a  generous  contributor  to  all  religious  denomi¬ 
nations.  He  married,  at  Chicago,  on  the  4th  of  August, 
1852,  Miss  Sarah  A.  Joslyn.  This  union  was  blessed 
with  three  children, —  two  daughters  and  a  son,  who 
are  still  living, —  the  consolation  of  their  widowed  mother. 
Mrs.  Morris  manages  the  estate  with  a  high  degree  of 
business  ability.  She  has  never  ceased  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  her  noble  husband.  In  an  estimate  of  the  char¬ 
acter  of  Mr.  Morris,  peculiar  traits  are  noticeable,  and 
worth  placing  on  record.  He  abhorred  profane  language 
to  such  a  degree  that  those  in  his  employment  seldom 
indulged  in  it.  He  possessed  magnetic  power  over  those 
with  whom  he  had  acquaintance  or  dealings, — winning 
not  only  their  respect,  but  their  affection.  His  life 
influenced  happily  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him; 
and,  with  that  not  unusual  combination  in  the  nature  of 
some  men,  he  was  brave  as  he  was  good;  tender  and 
affectionate  as  he  was  strong  and  manly.  Upon  reach¬ 
ing  Michigan,  in  the  early  days  of  his  manhood,  his 
whole  property  consisted  of  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


the  Territory;  at  his  death,  which  occuiTed  when  he  was 
but  fifty  years  old,  he  was  the  owner  of  real  and  per¬ 
sonal  property  valued  at  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million 
of  dollars.  Mr.  Morris  may,  with  propriety,  take  rank 
among  the  self-made  men  of  Michigan. 

- •<» - 

“^i^URPHY,  REV.  TIMOTHY  J.,  of  Berlin,  Kent 
|i  County,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Bendon,  County 
of  Cork,  Ireland,  April  5,  1848.  His  parents 
were  Jerry  and  Margaret  (Weasy)  Murphy. 
His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  county  school, 
where  he  studied  the  classics  under  the  direction  of 
Thomas  Lordan,  nephew  of  the  first  Bishop  of  Charles¬ 
town.  He  afterwards  passed  a  rigid  examination,  and 
was  admitted  to  All-Hallows  College,  Dublin.  Here  he 
finished  his  philosophical  and  theological  studies  in  a 
satisfactory  manner.  Desiring  more  freedom  than  the 
laws  of  England  permitted,  he  left  his  native  country 
for  America.  May  30,  1871,  he  was  ordained  priest  by 
Bishop  Borgess,  in  the  city  of  Detroit.  His  first  parish 
was  in  Bay  City,  Michigan.  He  has  been  actively  en¬ 
gaged  in  Grand  Haven  in  building  churches,  and  help¬ 
ing  the  needy;  endeavoring  with  sincere  earnestness  to 
assist  his  fellow-men.  He  has  ever  sympathized  with 
the  weak  and  oppressed,  and  has  been  greatly  concerned 
for  the  unsatisfactory  state  of  his  own  country.  He  is 
a  man  of  genial  nature;  is  ready  and  entertaining  in 
conversation,  and  exhibits  unusual  depth  of  thought. 
He  is  a  natural  orator,  speaking  eloquently  and  logically. 
He  is  universally  esteemed  for  the  fidelity  and  sincerity 
with  which  he  fulfills  his  priestly  duties.  Plis  sterling 
worth  and  tireless  energy  have  won  the  respect  of  the 
community.  Even  those  who  are  antagonistic  to  his 
church  recognize  in  him  a  man  worthy  of  admiration. 
July  4,  1876,  Father  Murphy  was  called  upon  by  a  com¬ 
mittee  of  prominent  citizens  to  read  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  at  the  public  festivities.  He  acceded  to 
their  request;  and,  after  delivering  the  entire  oration 
from  memory,  concluded  with  these  words:  “Permit 
me.  as  a  stranger,  to  express  the  wish  that  I  may  live 
long  enough  to  read  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
of  my  own  native  land.” 


Ik^RLSON,  HON.  C.  D.,  of  Muskegon,  Senator  from 
the  Twenty-sixth  DistricI  of  Michigan,  was  born 
in  Newbury,  Orange  County,  Vermont,  May  12, 
1824.  He  is  the  son  of  Stephen  P.  and  Rachel 
(Gates)  Nelson.  His  father  was  a  clothier  and  farmer. 
C.  D.  Nelson  received  his  early  school  education  in  his 
native  town.  In  1846  he  went  to  Boston,  Massachu¬ 
setts,  where,  for  a  time,  he  was  engaged  in  contracting 
and  building.  He  afterwards  entered  a  commercial  col¬ 


S5 

lege  in  Boston,  where  he  received  a  thorough  business 
training.  After  graduating  from  that  institution,  in 
1853,  he  became  manager  of  a  large  contracting  firm, 
and  remained  about  three  year^.  In  1857  he  moved  to 
Michigan,  and  settled  in  Muskegon ;  where,  for  nine 
years,  he  was  manager  of  the  lumber  business  of  Marsh 
&  Foss.  In  1868  he  formed  a  partnership  with  William 
B.  Phillips  and  Samuel  A.  Brown,  of  Chicago,  for  the 
purpose  of  manufacturing  lumber  in  Muskegon,  the  firm 
name  being  Brown,  Nelson  &  Co.  In  1873  Mr.  .D.  K. 
Loveland,  of  Chicago,  purchased  Mr.  Brown’s  interest, 
and  the  firm  name  became  C.  D.  Nelson  &  Co.  They 
manufactured,  on  an  average,  about  fifteen  million  feet 
of  lumber  annually.  Mr.  Nelson  has  held  various  offices 
of  trust  and  responsibility.  Pie  was  elected  City  Treas¬ 
urer  in  1865-6,  and  has  been  Alderman  of  the  city  for 
several  years,  and  also  President  of  the  Board  of  Educa¬ 
tion  in  Muskegon  since  1871.  He  has  been  a  Repub¬ 
lican  since  the  organization  of  that  party.  In  1875  he 
was  elected  to  the  Michigan  Senate,  and,  in  1877,  was 
re-elected.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  made  President 
pro  tempore.  His  legislative  career  has  been  marked  by 
that  good  sense  and  independent  judgment  which  dis¬ 
tinguish  the  statesman  who  serves  his  constituency  from 
the  politician  who  connives  for  his  party.  He  is  liberal 
in  his  religious  views;  and,  although  not  a  member  of 
any  church  organization,  is  respectfully  tolerant  of  all. 
He  attends  the  Baptist  Church,  with  his  family.  He 
was  manned.  May  20,  1853,  to  Miss  Carrie  Mason,  an 
estimable  young  lady  of  Newbury,  Vermont.  They  have 
a  son  and  daughters. 

- K>* - 


IjELSON,  EZRA  T.,  Manufacturer,  Grand  Rapids, 
^  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  born  in 
Milford,  Worcester  County,  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1824.  His  father,  Ezra  Nelson,  of  Milford,  was 
Captain  of  militia  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  mother  was 
Mary  Parkhurst,  also  of  Milford.  After  a  preparatory 
education,  he  attended  the  academies  of  Farmingham 
and  Cambridgeport,  in  his  native  State.  In  1842  he 
became  clerk  in  the  wholesale  dry -goods  house  of  S.  F. 
Morse  &  Co.,  at  Boston.  Here  he  remained  about  two 
years,  when  he  came  West,  spending  the  winter  in  Chi¬ 
cago,  a  few  months  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  several 
months  in  St.  Louis.  He  then  came  to  Grand  Rapids, 
and  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  Henry 
R.  Williams.  Pie  remained  in  this  capacity  two  years, 
when,  in  company  with  J.  M.  Smith,  D.  Hatch,  and  E. 
B.  Bostwick,  he  started  out  in  search  of  adventure 
through  the  copper  regions  of  Lake  Superior.  After 
an  absence  of  four  months,  the  party  returned  without 


having  made  any  important  investment  or  discovery. 
During  the  year  1847,  with  his  brother  as  partner,  he 


86 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


opened  a  general  assortment  store,  which  they  carried 
on  for  three  years  with  very  little  success.  In  1850  he 
became  clerk  in  the  clothing  store  of  Lewis,  Porter  & 
Co.,  remaining  two  years;  at  the  end  of  this  time,  he 
engaged  in  the  clothing  business  in  his  own  name.  In 
1863,  in  connection  with  J.  M.  Nelson  and  C.  C.  Com¬ 
stock,  he  began  the  wholesale  and  retail  furniture  trade, 
in  which  he  has  since  continued.  The  annual  sales 
of  the  firm  have  increased  in  amount  from  twenty 
thousand  to  three  hundred  thousand  dollars;  they  have 
recently  shipped  several  thousand  dollars’  worth  of 
goods  to  England,  and  have  some  prospect  of  building 
up  a  good  foreign  trade.  Their  exhibit  at  the  Centen¬ 
nial  Exposition  attracted  much  attention  on  account  of 
its  fine  finish,  unique  style,  and  massive  proportions. 
Their  furniture  factory  is  the  largest  in  the  North-west. 
Mr.  Nelson  has  always  been  a  member  of  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  party.  He  acted  as  Supervisor  for  two  terms, 
and  has  declined  several  other  public  offices.  On  the 
9th  of  October,  1848,  he  married  Augusta  M.,  daughter 
of  Charles  Valentine,  of  Cambridgeport,  Massachusetts; 
they  have  three  daughters.  He  has  always  given  liber¬ 
ally  to  every  enterprise  that  promised  advantage  to  the 
city  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  is  highly  respected  by  his 
fellow-xitizens. 


^IeWMAN,  JAMES,  of  Portland,  was  born  in  Gor- 
1^  ham.  New  York,  January  7,  1812,  and  died  in 
Portland,  Michigan,  April  2,  1877.  His  parents 
were  Elisha  and  Mary  Newman.  The  former 
died  in  1849;  the  latter  when  James  was  but  one  year 
old.  On  his  mother’s  death,  he  was  taken  to  live  with 
his  grand-parents,  at  Hopewell,  New  York.  Upon  reach¬ 
ing  manhood,  he  became  impressed  with  the  bright 
prospects  of  the  West,  which  led  so  many  to  desert 
their  homes  in  the  East,  and  went  to  Michigan  in  June, 
1833.  Pie  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Looking-glass 
River  on  the  i6th  of  that  month,  where  he  located  a 
large  tract  of  land.  May  24,  1836,  he  settled,  with 
his  family,  in  Portland.  The  name  Newman  has  been 
more  intimately  connected  with  the  origin  and  progress 
of  the  city  of  Portland  than  perhaps  any  other.  Mr. 
Newman  had  his  full  share  of  the  toils  and  privations 
of  those  early  days,  when  no  roads  existed  in  that  part 
of  Michigan,  and  the  pioneers  had  literally  to  cut  their 
way  for  many  miles  through  the  wilderness.  The  In¬ 
dians  still  held  the  country,  but  were  peaceably  disposed 
and  traded  with  new-comers.  On  reaching  Portland,  Mr. 
Newman’s  first  work,  after  obtaining  shelter  for  his 
family,  was  the  erection,  in  connection  with  his  brother, 
of  a  saw-mill  on  Looking-glass  River.  He  also  started 
a  small  run  of  stone  for  grinding.  This  was  the  first 
saw  and  grist  mill  on  the  river,  and  the  only  one  in 


Portland.  Mr.  Newman  located  and  owned  the  greater 
part  of  the  land  on  the  east  side  of  Grand  River,  now 
occupied  by  the  village  of  Portland,  where  “Newman’s 
Addition”  is  still  a  prominent  landmark.  From  this 
small  beginning,  his  business  constantly  increased,  de¬ 
veloping  with  the  growth  of  the  village.  Pie  was  also, 
at  various  times,  both  alone  and  in  connection  with 
others,  engaged  in  other  kinds  of  business;  principally 
in  carrying  on  flour  and  woolen  mills,  buying  and  selling 
property,  and  farming.  He  held,  at  different  times,  the 
positions  of  Treasurer  and  Commissioner  of  Highways, 
and  was  frequently  solicited  to  become  a  candidate  for 
other  public  offices;  but,  having  no  ambition  in  that 
direction,  he  invariably  declined.  In  the  growth  and 
improvement  of  the  village,  he  always  had  a  strong  in¬ 
terest;  and,  to  the  railroad  enterprises  in  that  connection, 
he  was  a  firm  friend,  freely  using  his  money  and  influ¬ 
ence.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  educational  matters, 
and,  for  a  number  of  years,  served  as  a  school  officer. 
His  benevolence  was  well  known  in  the  community;  no 
deserving  applicant  for  flour  at  his  mill  being  turned 
away  because  he  was  not  able  to  pay.  Few  men  were 
more  respected;  and,  at  his  death,  the  press  of  Portland 
gave  ample  expression  to  the  public  sorrow.  Mr.  New¬ 
man  was  connected  with  the  Universalist  Church.  In 
politics,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  always  voted  con¬ 
sistently  with  the  principles  of  that  party.  May  i,  1834, 
he  married,  at  Hopewell,  New  York,  Rebecca  Hixon,  a 
native  of  Bridgewater.  She  died  March  25,  1862,  leav¬ 
ing  a  family  of  five  children, —  three  sons  and  two 
daughters.  In  1865  Mr.  Newman  married  Caroline, 
widow  of  Rev.  Miles  Reid,  who  survives  him.  They 
had  one  son.  Mr.  Newman’s  flour-mill  is  now  carried 
on  by  his  eldest  son,  James,  in  partnership  with  his 
brother-in-law,  N.  B.  Rice,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Newman  &  Rice;  the  latter  owning  a  one-third  interest. 
It  is  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  the  kind  in 
the  country. 


o*- 


ij|ELSON,  JAMES  M.,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in 
Milford,  Worcester  County,  Massachusetts,  on 
the  27th  of  November,  1810.  His  father,  Ezra 
Nelson,  was  Captain  of  the  old  artillery  company 
of  Milford,  and  went  to  Boston  with  his  company  dur¬ 
ing  the  War  of  1812.  Mr.  Nelson  attended  the  district 
schools,  and  afterwards  the  academy  of  Milford.  Upon 
leaving  school,  he  assumed  the  entire  charge  of  his 
father’s  farm  until  the  year  1836,  when  he  was  induced 
to  go  West.  Before  starting,  he  purchased  a  stock  of 
goods,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin ; 
but,  after  reaching  Detroit,  Michigan,  he  concluded  to 
go  on  to  Grand  Rapids.  Arriving  at  this  place,  he 
entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  George  C. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


Nelson, —  who  had  bought  a  store  there, —  and  remained 
for  about  four  years.  During  the  second  year  of  their 
partnership,  they  built,  on  Mill  Creek,  a  new  saw-mill, 
the  only  one  in  that  part  of  the  country.  From  that 
time,  Mr.  Nelson  carried  on  the  lumber  business,  for  a 
number  of  years,  with  considerable  success.  During 
the  winter  of  1838,  provisions  were  so  scarce  that  Mr. 
Nelson  made  a  journey  into  Indiana  in  search  of  hogs; 
at  that  time,  there  were  no  roads  through  the  woods, 
and  wild  beasts  abounded.  He  remained  over  night  at 
a  house  about  ten  miles  south  of  Goshen,  Indiana;  and 
while  there,  a  hunter  came  to  the  same  place,  reporting 
that  four  miles  distant  an  Indian  had  been  devoured  by 
the  wolves.  The  following  day,  Mr.  Nelson  passed 
the  spot,  and  saw  fragments  of  the  Indian’s  clothing. 
At  Lafayette,  Indiana,  he  purchased  two  hundred  and 
eighty  hogs,  which  were  gladly  received  by  the  almost 
famished  people  of  Grand  Rapids.  The  whole  drove 
was  immediately  killed.  In  the  winter  of  1837,  Mr. 
Nelson,  in  company  with  five  others,  started  to  find  the 
Muskegon  River.  Owing  to  the  depth  of  the  snow, 
and  their  inaccurate  knowledge  of  the  way,  the  journey, 
though  only  forty  miles,  occupied  about  three  days  and 
a  half.  They  found  an  Ottawa  Indian  encampment  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  remained  with  the  Indians 
for  two  days,  receiving  very  kind  treatment.  When 
returning  to  Grand  Rapids,  they  lost  their  way,  and,  for 
a  day,  traveled  in  the  wrong  direction.  When  they 
reached  Grand  Rapids,  they  had  been  without  food  for 
thirty-six  hours.  In  1838  Mr.  Nelson  launched  the  first 
raft  that  was  ever  sent  down  the  Grand  River.  In  1840 
he  became  Postmaster,  holding  the  office  four  years. 
At  this  time,  the  partnership  with  his  brother  was  dis¬ 
solved.  In  1859  he  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  lumber 
business,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  flour  with 
M.  L.  Sweet  and  J.  E.  Bridge;  they  had  two  mills  capa¬ 
ble  of  turning  out  three  hundred  barrels  of  flour  per 
day,  besides  doing  custom-work.  In  1863  Mr.  Nelson 
sold  his  interest  in  the  mills,  and,  with  his  brother, 
Ezra  T.  Nelson,  bought  of  C.  C.  Comstock  a  half  in¬ 
terest  in  a  large  furniture  factory.  At  that  time,  the 
sales  averaged  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars  per  year; 
for  several  years  past,  they  have  amounted  to  almost 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  year.  He  still  car¬ 
ries  on  this  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Nelson, 
Matter  &  Co.  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  for  thirty-five  years,  and  has  held  a 
number  of  offices  in  the  church.  His  first  vote  was  in 
favor  of  the  Whig  ticket;  since  that  time,  he  has  been 
a  Republican.  In  1839  he  married  Miss  Abbie  G. 
Bridge,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  by  whom  he  has  had 
four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living.  In  August, 
1847,  wife’s  death  occurred.  She  was  a  woman  of 
benevolence  and  good  judgment,  and  an  active  worker 
in  the  interests  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  In  18-50  Mr. 


Nelson  married  Mrs.  Anna  M.  .Sargent,  who  proved  an 
excellent  mother  to  his  children.  She  died  in  March, 
i860.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  representative  and  self-made 
man ;  and,  by  his  strict  business  integrity  and  industry, 
commands  the  esteem  of  the  entire  community  wherein 
he  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 

—  ■»o« - 

*5|5ilEWCOMB,  JOHN  H.,  Insurance  Agent  and  Real 
Estate  Dealer,  of  Spring  Lake,  was  born  May  29, 
'(^^,,.■•1811,  in  Westford,  Otsego  County,  New  York, 
and  is  the  son  of  James  S.  and  Jane  C.  ( Vanvleck) 
Newcomb.  Fie  attended  the  common  schools  of  Onon¬ 
daga  County,  but  his  early  advantages  were  limited; 
much  of  his  time  was  spent  in  farm  labor,  and  his 
achievements  in  learning  are  mainly  due  to  his  own  exer¬ 
tions  in  after  life.  He  removed  to  Rochester,  New 
York,  in  the  fall  of  1831,  and  engaged  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture  and  sale  of  lumber.  Being  a  good  mechanic,  and 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  business,  he  was  able  to 
oversee  it  in  all  its  departments.  In  the  fall  of  1834,  he 
removed  to  Grand  Island,  Erie  County,  New  York,  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  ship  planks  for  the  East¬ 
ern  market.  Here  he  became  noted  as  a  machinist  and 
mill-wright.  In  1837  he  moved  to  Muskegon,  Michi¬ 
gan,  to  assist  in  erecting  a  mill;  this,  when  completed, 
was  placed  under  his  supervision,  until  1840.  In  May 
of  that  year,  he  injured  his  arm  severely,  and  was 
obliged  to  suspend  his  business  operations.  During  the 
year,  he  made  an  extensive  tour  through  the  States  of 
Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  and  spent  the  summer  in  Chicago. 
June  I,  1841,  he  commenced  work  at  Mill  Point,  now 
Spring  Lake,  where  he  built  the  first  house,  and  erected 
a  mill  for  Barber  &  Mason.  In  1842  he  was  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber  in  this  mill.  In  the  fall  of 
the  year  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  agent 
for  Barber  &  Mason,  disposing  of  their  lumber,  until 
1848,  when  they  dissolved  partnership.  March  16,  1842, 
Mr.  Newcomb  was  married  to  Frances  Sinclair,  daughter 
of  James  and  Lydia  A.  Sinclair,  of  Chicago,  formerly 
of  New  York  City.  March  31  he  returned  to  Spring 
Lake,  and  improved  and  enlarged  his  mill.  He  con¬ 
tinued  the  manufacture  of  lumber  until  January,  1853, 
when  the  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  rebuilt  it  in 
the  same  year,  and,  for  five  years,  carried  on  a  success¬ 
ful  business.  In  January,  1859,  he  entered  upon  a 
mercantile  pursuit,  in  which  he  was  engaged  until  1868. 
Since  that  time,  he  has  been  interested  in  real  estate  and 
insurance,  and  has  been  eminently  successful.  Mr. 
Newcomb  has  held  several  minor  offices.  He  was  Col¬ 
lector  of  Internal  Revenue  from  the  time  the  tax  was 
first  levied  until  the  death  of  President  l.incoln.  He  has 
an  enviable  reputation  for  business  ability,  honesty,  and 
integrity,  and  has  always  been  alive  to  public  enterprise, 
and  to  acts  of  charity  and  benevolence. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


SS 

*^j^:ORRIS,  LYMAN  D.,  Grand  Rapids,  is  the  only 

Mark  Norris,  who  was  a  pioneer 
,L  of  Michigan;  coming  to  Ypsilanti  from  New  York 
in  1828,  and  remaining  there  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1862.  Mr.  Norris,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  born  at  Covington,  Genesee  County, 
New  York,  on  the  4th  of  May,  1825.  After  a  preparatory 
education,  he  attended  the  Michigan  College,  at  Mar¬ 
shall;  and,  in  the  fall  of  1841,  entered  the  Michigan 
University,  being  the  first  student  of  the  first  class  that 
entered  that  now  large  and  flourishing  institution.  Re¬ 
maining  there  two  years  and  nine  months,  he  entered 
Yale  College,  whence  he  graduated  in  1845.  In  the 
winter  of  1845-6,  he  began  to  read  law  with  A.  D. 
Frazer,  of  Detroit, —  a  lawyer  of  great  learning  and 
distinction ;  having  the  best  law  library  in  the  State. 
After  fifteen  months’  study,  Mr.  Norris  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  the  spring  of  1847,  being  then  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  He  was  publicly  examined,  in  open  court, 
both  by  a  committee  and  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  He  acquitted  himself  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
reflect  much  honor,  not  only  upon  himself,  but  on  those 
under  whom  he  studied.  In  the  spring  of  1848,  he  com¬ 
menced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  St.  Louis,  Mis¬ 
souri.  ,  The  latter  part  of  1850  and  nearly  all  of  the  year 
1851,  he  spent  in  Europe,  engaged  in  professional  busi¬ 
ness.  Having  successfully  disposed  of  that,  he  went  to 
Heidelberg  and  entered  upon  the  study  of  civil  law, —  a 
knowledge  of  which  was  of  great  service  to  St.  Louis 
lawyers,  iii  the  investigation  of  French  and  Spanish 
land  claims  and  titles,  based  upon  the  laws  and  titles 
existing  previous  to  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  by  Presi¬ 
dent  Jefferson  in  1803.  In  1852,  when  he  had  been-but 
five  years  at  the  bar,  Mr.  Norris  was  retained  in  the 
celebrated  Dred  Scott  case,  and  succeeded  in  inducing 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Missouri  to  reverse  the  decisions 
and  principles  of  fourteen  previously  decided  cases. 
Afterwards  this  case  came  to  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court,  and  to  national  celebrity.  During  his  stay  in 
St.  Louis,  Mr.  Norris  was  political  editor  and  part  pro¬ 
prietor  of  the  St.  Louis  Daily  Times,  for  about  a  year. 
In  1854,  being  an  only  son,  he  was  recalled  to  Ypsilanti 
by  the  failing  health  of  his  father,  who,  with  an  encum¬ 
bered  estate,  required  his  assistance.  This  was  freely 
given,  although  it  demanded  the  abandonment  of  the 
successful  career  he  had  entered  upon  in  St.  Louis.  He 
remained  at  Ypsilanti  in  the  practice  of  law  until  the 
spring  of  1871,  when  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  James  Blair, 
the  firm  name  becoming  Norris  &  Blair.  With  some 
changes,  this  firm  continued  until  November  i,  1875, 
when  it  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Norris  formed  a  parL 
nership  with  E.  F.  Uhl,  under  the  name  of  Norris  & 
Uhl.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional 
Convention  in  1867,  representing  Washtenaw.  He  was 


a  useful  conservative  member,  and  co-operated  with  such 
men  as  Judge  Withey,  Mr.  Lothrop,  and  Governor 
McClelland,  in  endeavoring  to  perfect  a  good  constitution. 
If  their  advice  had  been  heeded,  in  the  separate  sub¬ 
missions  of  the  various  political  questions  involved  in 
that  constitution,  it  is  now  seen  that  the  State  would 
have  been  greatly  benefited;  but  partisan  politics  ran 
high  near  the  closing  scenes  of  the  Rebellion,  and  the 
labors  of  the  Convention  came  to  naught.  In  1869,  the 
county  being  Republican,  he  was,  against  his  wishes, 
nominated  as  the  most  available  candidate  for  Senator. 
Unwilling  to  be  set  up  only  to  be  defeated,  he  intro¬ 
duced,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  State,  the 
always-to-be-desired  practice  of  joint  discussions ;  chal¬ 
lenging  his  opponent,  Hon.  J.  Webster  Childs, —  a  good 
speaker  and  a  favorite  among  his  brother  farmers.  They 
held  some  dozen  meetings  in  the  county,  the  largest  and 
most  enthusiastic  ever  gathered  in  the  State;  conducted 
in  the  best  spirit,- — the  candidates  traveling  together  and 
each  being  the  other’s  guest  when  they  spoke  in  the 
towns  of  their  residence.  Mr.  Norris  was  elected  by  a 
little  less  than  two  hundred  majority;  but  they  retained 
the  respect  of  each  other,  and  also  of  the  people.  In 
the  Senate, —  there  being  only  five  Democrats, —  Mr. 
Norris,  always  averse  to  useless  partisanship  and  contest 
over  small  matters  of  detail,  proposed  to  his  colleagues 
to  make  no  party  nominations  for  the  minor  offices  of  the 
Senate,  and  to  give  their  votes  for  the  candidates  of  the 
majority,  which  was  done.  In  return  for  this  courtesy, 
Lieutenant-Governor  Baltes  gave  every  Democrat  the 
chairmanship  of  a  committee.  It  was  a  quiet,  harmonious 
session.  Mr.  Norris  was  Chairman  of  the  Geological  Sur¬ 
vey;  and,  also,  on  the  Judiciary  Committee  and  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Education.  The  people  of  the  Upper  Peninsula 
were  anxious  for  a  survey,  and  he  prepared  a  full  report 
upon  the  subject,  in  which  Mr.  McKernon,  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Geological  Survey  in  the  House,  joined. 
Several  thousand  copies  were  ordered  to  be  printed  in 
pamphlet  form.  The  joint  committees'  reported  a  bill, 
which  passed,  and  the  geological  survey  was  inaugurated 
with  an  appropriation  of  eight  thousand  dollars, —  one- 
half  for  the  Upper  Peninsula.  The  people  are  greatly  in¬ 
debted  to  Mr.  Norris  for  thus  aiding  in  the  development 
of  the  vast  resources  of  that  section.  The  two  volumes  of 
Reports  published  are  wholly  devoted  to  the  iron  and  cop¬ 
per  interests  of  that  region.  It  was  during  this  session  of 
the  Legislature  that  the  law  authorizing  towns  to  vote  aid 
to  railroads,  and  the  saddling  of  a  bonded  debt  upon  the 
municipalities  of  the  State,  to  the  amount  of  over  six  mil¬ 
lion  dollars,  was  passed, — afterwards  declared  by  the  Su¬ 
preme  Court,  in  the  Salem  bond  case,  unconstitutional. 
Mr.  Norris,  like  most  of  the  prominent  attorneys  of  the 
State,  was  in  the  habit  of  acting  professionally  for  rail¬ 
roads,  and  was  considered  friendly  to  their  interests;  yet 
he  ojrjDosed  this  law  upon  principle,  speaking  and  voting 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


89 


steadily  against  it.  It  is  true  that  success  is  not  always 
the  test  of  merit;  yet  “nothing  succeeds  like  success,” 
and  he  has  acquired  the  reputation  of  succeeding  in  con¬ 
tested  cases.  An  examination  of  his  record  in  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State  reveals  the  fact  that,  in  fifty-two  cases 
in  which  Mr.  Norris  appeared, — -from  nine  counties  in 
the  State, —  of  twenty-one  which  were  carried  into  that 
court,  he  had  lost  but  five;  of  thirty-one  undertaken,  he 
won  nineteen.  On  the  22d  of  November,  1855,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Lucy  Whittelsey,  daughter  of  the  late 
Chauncey  Whittelsey,  of  Middletown,  Connecticut.  They 
have  two  children, — a  son  and  a  daughter.  During  his 
residence  in  Grand  Rapids,  his  reputation  as  an  able 
lawyer  has  steadily  increased.  He  is  universally  re¬ 
garded  as  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments,  sound  legal 
mind,  and  possessed  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence.  In  the  spring  of  1875,  Mr. 
Norris  was  complimented  by  the  State  Democratic  Con¬ 
vention’s  nomination  as  its  candidate  for  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  place  of  Justice  Christianay,  who  had 
been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  Mr.  Norris 
accepted,  because  it  was  only  a  compliment,  and  he 
would  not  have  to  leave  a  lucrative  practice, — -the  State 
then  being  Republican  by  some  twenty-five  thousand 
majority.  It  is  from  biographical  notices  of  Mr.  Norris, 
published  during  that  canvass,  that  the  foregoing  is 
compiled. 

- - 


his  position  in  the  army,  on  account  of  ill  health,  and 
returned  to  Grand  Rapids.  In  1865  he  removed  to 
Muskegon,  where  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1867  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Francis  Smith;  and, 
in  1869,  Mr.  Erwin  was  added  to  the  firm,  the  firm 
name  becoming  Smith,  Nims  &  Erwin.  In  1869  Mr. 
Nims  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Michigan  Lake 
Shore  Railroad  Company.  He  was  attorney  for  this 
road  several  years,  and  is  now  attorney  for  the  Chicago 
and  Michigan  Lake  Shore  Railroad.  As  a  lawyer,  he 
is  able  and  discreet;  as  an  attorney  for  railroads  and 
other  corporations,  he  has  acquired  some  prominence. 
His  political  views  are  in  accordance  with  those  of  the 
Democratic  party.  From  1870  until  1874,  Mr.  Nims 
was  a  member  of  the  Michigan  State  Central  Demo¬ 
cratic  Committee;  and,  in  1876,  he  was  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Democratic  Convention  which  assembled 
in  St.  Louis.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity, 
and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  School  Board  of  Muskegon ;  and,  since 
that  time,  has  manifested  deep  interest  in  educational 
work.  He  is  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Muskegon 
National  Bank.  In  1862  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
McReynolds,  daughter  of  Colonel  A.  T.  McReynolds, 
of  Grand  Rapids.  Her  death  occurred  in  1872.  In 
May,  1873,  he  married  Miss  Ellen  McReynolds,  his 
wife’s  sister.  They  have  two  children. . 

- - - 


^^KiilMS,  FREDERICK  A.,  Lawyer,  Muskegon,  was 
born  in  Adrian,  Michigan,  June  15,  1839.  His 
father.  Dr.  D.  Nims,  is  a  leading  physician  of 
the  State,  and  has  been  practicing  forty-five 
years.  Mr.  Nims  received  a  classical  education.  After 
a  preparatory  course,  he  entered  Albion  College  in  1851, 
remaining  two  years.  In  1853  he  became  a  student  in 
Hobart  College,  Geneva,  New  York;  and,  after  four 
years’  study,  graduated.  In  1858  he  began  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  Withey  &  Gray,  at  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  June,  i860. 
For  a  short  time  after,  he  was  editor  of  the  Grand 
Rapids  Daily  Enquirer.  Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion,  Mr.  Nims  was  commissioned  Second  Lieuten¬ 
ant  of  the  1st  New  York  Cavalry,  which  was  the  first 
regiment  of  cavalry  organized  for  the  war.  Soon  after 
his  enlistment,  he  was  detached  from  his  regiment,  and 
appointed  Brigade  Quartermaster  and  Commissary,  in 
the  brigade  commanded  by  General  1.  N.  Palmer.  Pie 
served  in  this  capacity  until  the  fall  of  1862,  when  he 
was  appointed  Aid-devcamp  to  General  W.  L.  Elliott, 
of  the  Potomac  Army,  and  served  for  one  year.  Pie 
was  then  attached,  as  Aid-de-camp,  to  the  staff  of  Gen¬ 
eral  J.  C.  Sullivan,  w’ho  was  stationed  at  Harper’s 
Perry,  Virginia.  In  October,  1864,  Mr.  Nims  resigned 
67 


['■GGEL,  REV.  E.  CHRISTIAN,  Pastor  of  the 
ij.  First  Reformed  Church  at  Grand  Haven,  was 
born  September  28,  1841,  at  Axel,  in  the  Nether¬ 
lands,  Europe.  He  attended  an  excellent  public  school 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  His  father  died  in 
February,  1856;  and,  in  the  following  spring,  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  under  the  guidance  of  his  brother. 
Professor  P.  J.  Oggel.  This  brother  died  at  Plope  Col¬ 
lege,  Holland,  Michigan,  December  13,  1869.  In  the 
fall  of  1856,  Mr.  Oggel  entered  the  Holland  Academy, 
of  which  Rev.  John  Van  Vleck  was  Principal.  He 
there  pursued  his  preparatory  studies  until  .i860.  In 
September  of  that  year,  he  entered  the  sophomore  class 
of  Rutger’s  College,  New  Brunswick,  NeW' Jersey,  and 
graduated  with  a  class  of  seventeen  in  1863.  Since  his 
conversion,  in  1859,  he  had  been  filled  with  an  ardent 
longing  to  preach  the  Gospel ;  and,  during  the  summer 
of  1863,  he  decided  to  study  for  the  ministry.  Pie 
entered  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Protestant  Re¬ 
formed  Church,  at  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey;  and, 
in  the  summer  of  1866,  was  licensed  to  preach.  He 
settled  at  North  Holland,  Ottawa  County,  Michigan, 
where  he  was  ordained,  October  14,  1866,  as  pastor  of 
the  First  Reformed  Church.  He  preached  his  opening 
sermon  from  Romans  i.  16:  “For  I  am  not  a.shamed 


90 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


of  the  gospel  of  Christ;  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth.”  During  his  min¬ 
istry,  the  membership  increased  largely,  and  a  spacious 
church  edifice,  a  parsonage,  and  a  school-house  were 
erected.  He  left  this  charge  in  November,  1869,  having 
accepted  an  offer  from  the  council  of  Hope  College  to 
become  treasurer  of  the  college  and  editor  of  The  Hope ; 
a  religious  paper  started  by  Professor  Oggpl,  and  pub¬ 
lished  at  Holland,  under  the  supervision  of  the  council, 
in  the  interest  of  the  Western  Reformed  Church.  He 
resigned  the  position  in  January,  1871,  and  accepted  a 
call  to  the  Reformed  Church  at  Graffschap.  In  June, 
1872,  he  accepted  the  second  formal  call  to  the  First 
Reformed  Church  at  Grand  Haven,  and  was  installed, 
September  %  of  the  same  year,  by  Dr.  A.  C.  Van  Raalte, 
of  Holland,  and  Rev.  C.  Van  der  Meulen,  of  Grand 
Rapids.  His  congregation  numbered  two  hundred  and 
sixty  families,  and  was  the  largest  religious  organiza¬ 
tion  in  the  city.  His  labors  there  were  wonderfully 
blessed.  August  8,  1872,  before  entering  upon  his 
duties  at  Grand  Haven,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
Plugger,  of  Holland,  the  second  daughter  of  Aldert 
Plugger,  deceased.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  the 
P'irst  Reformed  Church  at  Holland;  Rev.  R.  Pieters  and 
Rev.,  H.  Niterwyk  officiating.  Since  Mr.  Oggel  entered 
the  ministry,  he  has  declined  nine  calls  from  churches 
of  his  denomination.  He  is  now  in  the  full  strength  of 
his  manhood,  and  is  devoted  to  his  work.  Mr.  Oggel 
has  recently  accepted  a  unanimous  call  to  the  pastorate 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  at  Kankakee  City, 
Illinois,  in  the  Presbytery  of  Chicago. 


’BRIEN,  THOMAS  J.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born 
5  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  July  30,  1843.  He  received 
his  elementary  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Jackson  and  Marshall.  He  afterwards  attended  lectures 
in  the  University  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  studied  law  for 
one  term  with  John  C.  F'itzgerald.  In  1864  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  entered  into  partnership  with 
Mr.  Fitzgerald,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1871. 
After  dissolving  this  connection,  he  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Hon.  D.  Darwin 
Hughes.  Since  his  admission  to  the  bar,  Mr.  O’Brien 
has  devoted  his  entire  time  to  the  profession  for  which 
he  is  so  well  fitted.  In  1873  was  married  to  the 
eldest  daughter  of  Hon.  William  A.  Howard.  To  the 
energy,  industry,  studious  habits,  and  forethought  of 
Mr.  O’Brien,  much  of  the  extensive  business  of  the  law 
firm  of  Hughes,  O’Brien  &  Smiley  is  due.  The  envi¬ 
able  social  and  professional  position  of  this  gentleman 
may  also  be  attributed  to  these  qualities,  which  justly 
entitle  him  to  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


bVGE,  WELLINGTON  C.,  Banker,  Capitalist,  and 
Grain  Dealer,  was  born  in  Whitestown,  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  November  12,  1820.  His 
4'^  father,  Rufus  Page,  a  native  of  Vermont,  died 
when  Wellington  was  but  twelve  years  old.  His  mother, 
Susannah  (Cass)  Page,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
was  a  cousin  of  General  Cass.  Wellington  Page,  at  the 
time  of  his  father’s  death,  had  only  learned  the  alpha¬ 
bet.  Being  the  youngest  boy  in  the  family,  he  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  work,  and  did  not  attend  school  until  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  nineteen ;  when  he  went  for  about 
six  months,  learning  to  read,  write,  and  cipher.  In  the 
spring  of  1839,  he  removed  with  the  family  to  Ronald 
Township,  Ionia  County)  Michigan,  where  they  had  pur¬ 
chased  a  farm.  They  subsequently  took  possession  of 
four  hundred  acres  of  uncultivated  land  in  Ionia  County, 
for  which  they  had  exchanged  a  farm  in  Eaton  County. 
Mr.  Page  worked  at  clearing  this  land  for  fourteen  years, 
when  he  bought  out  his  brother’s  share  in  the  place  and 
started  a  general  mercantile  store.  After  carrying  on  that 
business  successfully  for  eight  years,  during  which  time 
he  was  Commissioner  and  Treasurer  of  the  county,  he  re¬ 
moved  to  Ionia,  and  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  grain. 
An  inventory  of  his  assets,  on  the  day  of  his  arrival, 
showed  him  to  be  the  owner  of  a  house  and  lot  valued 
at  fourteen  hundred  dollars,  and  five  thousand  dollars  in 
gold.  A  partnership,  into  which  he  afterwards  entered 
with  H.  J.  Wilson,  was  broken  by  the  serious  illness  of 
Mr.  Page;  and,  in  the  following  spring,  he  became  as¬ 
sociated  with  W.  P.  Burhans  in  general  banking  and 
grain  business.  After  a  little  more  than  three  years,  he 
bought  out  Mr.  Burhans  and  continued  alone  for  one 
year.  He  carried  on  business  with  Burton  Babcock 
for  one  year,  during  which  time  he  built  the  Second 
National  Bank.  He  then  entered  a  copartnership  with 
his  former  partner,  H.  J.  Wilson;  and  now  the  firm 
of  Page  &  Wilson  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
thoroughly  established  in  Ionia  County.  Mr.  Page, 
besides  attending  to  the  requirements  of  his  bank  and 
extensive  commission  busine.ss,  has  been  connected  with 
several  public  enterprises.  He  was  contractor  and 
builder  of  the  railroad  running  from  Portland  to  Green¬ 
ville,  now  consolidated  with  the  Detroit,  Lansing  and 
Northern  Railroad;  and  was  President  and  contractor 
of  the  railroad  between  Ionia  and  Stanton,  besides  being 
a  stockholder  in  each  of  these  roads.  Pie  contril)uted 
ten  thousand  dollars  towards  the  building  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Ionia,  of  which  he  has 
been  a  member  for  nineteen  years.  He  not  only  con¬ 
tributes  liberally  to  his  own  church,  but  to  those  of 
other  denominations.  His  early  political  views  were  in 
favor  of  the  Whigs,  and  since  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  he  has  been  its  strong  supporter.  He 
married,  in  April,  1841,  Miss  Maria  Cronk,  by  whom  he 
had  three  children.  She  died  in  the  spring  of  i860. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


91 


November  9,  i860,  he  married  Amerilla  O.,  daughter 
of  Daniel  Heath,  a  farmer  in  Palo,  Michigan.  This 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  two  children, — Rufus 
Lee,  aged  twelve  years,  and  Mary  Alice,  two  years  old. 
His  practical  talents,  integrity,  and  Christian  spirit; 
his  interest  in  every  measure  of  public  importance,  and 
his  liberality,  have  won  for  him  the  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
citizens.  He  is  essentially  a  self-made  man.  His  suc¬ 
cess  in*  life  has  been  brought  about  by  his  untiring 
energy,  and  a  rule  of  conduct  based  upon  unvarying 
honesty  and  persistent  industry. 


kAGE,  ABEL,  Farmer,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michi¬ 
gan,  was  born  in  Rindge,  New  Hampshire,  Jan¬ 
uary  30,  1785.  In  1807  he  married  Zilpha  Barns, 
daughter  of  a  prominent  farmer  of  Vermont,  and 
settled  in  Rutland  in  that  State.  In  1836,  having  lost 
his  property  by  an  unfortunate  indorsement,  he  removed 
to  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  and  engaged  in  agriculture 
at  Grand  Rapids.  Besides  his  more  hardy  labors,  he 
engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit  and  flowers,  in  which 
he  was  very  successful.  He  planted  the  first  nursery  in 
the  Grand  River  Valley,  and,  for  years,  supplied  the 
settlers  with  grafted  fruits  and  rare  plants.  He  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Grand 
Rapids,  in  which  he  labored  zealously  for  twenty  years 
with  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  James  Ballard.  He  was  an 
earnest  student  of  the  Scriptures,  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  the  Sabbath  School.  His  practical  but  un¬ 
ostentatious  piety  made  his  daily  life  a  quiet  example 
and  an  abiding  influence.  Deacon  Page  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-nine,  of  the  first  illness  which  he  had  ever 
experienced. 


pERHAM,  JOHN  B.,  of  Spring  Lake,  Michigan, 

I  was  born  in  Mayfield,  Fulton  County,  New  York, 
I^C'-October  15,  1835.  Two  years  later,  his  parents 
moved  to  Tylersville,  Jefferson  County.  There 
he  received  a  good  common-school  education,  and  re¬ 
mained  until  1855.  He  taught  during  the  winter  of 
1854-55;  and,  the  following  spring,  removed  to  Du¬ 
buque,  Iowa.  A  few  months  afterwards,  he  joined  a 
Government  surveying  party  on  an  expedition  into  the 
wilds  of  Minnesota.  In  the  summer  of  1856,  he  settled 
on  a  quarter  section  of  land,  in  Steele  County,  Minne¬ 
sota,  and  again  engaged  in  surveying  and  teaching. 
During  the  border  war  of  1857,  Mr.  Perham  emigrated 
to  Kansas.  In  1858  he  returned  to  Tylersville,  New 
York,  and  spent  two  years  in  teaching.  In  i860  he 
settled  at  Spring  Lake,  Michigan,  and  taught  for  three 
years.  In  1864,  he  entered  into  mercantile  business. 


and  has  now  a  wholesale  and  retail  dry-goods  and  grocery 
establishment  at  Spring  Lake,  and  a  commodious  branch 
store  at  Monica.  Mr.  Perham  has  always  been  a  Repub¬ 
lican.  In  the  spring  of  1874,  he  was  elected  Town 
Supervisor,  being  the  first  Republican  in  the  tov/nship 
who  was  elected  to  that  office.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Republican  County  Committee  eight  years,  and 
Secretary  of  that  Committee  two  terms.  For  twelve 
years,  he  was  an  energetic  member  of  the  School  Board ; 
and,  a  portion  of  that  time,  its  director.  Understanding 
thoroughly  the  requirements  and  necessities  of  system¬ 
atic  education,  he  has  been  an  efficient  and  judicious 
counselor.  He  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  village 
council,  and  permanently  connected  with  every  temper¬ 
ance  movement  which  has  occurred  in  the  place  during 
his  residence  there.  He  was  instrumental  in  pushing  to 
final  completion  the  first  Red-Ribbon  Hall  built  in  the 
interests  of  temperance  in  Michigan.  At  its  dedication 
in  1877,  he  made  an  eloquent  appeal  to  the  audience, 
and  secured  a  response  in  pledges  sufficient  to  cover  all 
indebtedness.  He  has  assisted  in  organizing  several  lit¬ 
erary  societies,  and  has,  at  different  times,  appeared  before 
the  public  as  a  lecturer.  Mr.  Perham  delivered  the 
Centennial  oration  at  Spring  Lake.  He  is  a  special  cor¬ 
respondent  of  the  Grand  Haven  daily  and  weekly  papers ; 
and  also  a  member  of  both  the  Odd-Fellows  and  Masonic 
societies.  November  16,  1867,  he  married  Miss  Carrie 
Gross,  of  Rockford,  Kent  County,  Michigan. 


o- 


^ECK,  ARVINE,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
i  tiers  in  Lowell,  Kent  County,  and  now  a  promi- 


'  nent  physician  in  that  town,  was  born  in  Butler, 
Wayne  County,  New  York,  December  15,  1819. 
rhe  first  of  the  Peck  family  in  this  country  emigrated 
rom  Wales  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  Dr. 
\rvine  Peck’s  father,  Horace  Peck,  was  a  native  of  Con- 
lecticut,  and  his  mother,  Anna  (Burch)  Peck,  was  born 
n  New  York  State.  His  early  educational  advantages 
rvere  confined  to  what  could  be  obtained  by  attending 
he  common  schools,  in  the  intervals  of  work  on  his 
ather’s  farm.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered  Vic- 
ory  Academy,  where  he  remained  one  year.  The  next 
hree  years  he  spent  at  Red  Creek  Academy,  paying  his 
;xpenses  by  teaching  school.  After  leaving  Red  Creek, 
le  spent  some  time  in  the  study  of  dentistry ;  and,  at 
nst.  was  enabled  to  carrv  out  his  loncf-cherished  resolu¬ 


tion  of  preparing  himself  for  the  medical  profession. 
He  first  pursued  his  medical  studies  under  the  tuition  of 
Dr.  Robert  Treat  Payne,  and  afterwards  with  Dr.  A.  T. 
Hendricks,  under  whose  instruction  he  remained  until 
his  graduation.  He  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at 
Geneva,  New  York;  and,  subsequently,  at  the  Eclectic 


93 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati,  from  which  he  gradu¬ 
ated  in  1846  with  the  highest  honors.  Dr.  Peck  has  not 
confined  himself,  however,  to  the  eclectic  school  of  medi¬ 
cine.  Being  an  ardent  devotee  of  his  profession,  he  has 
studied  earnestly  to  familiarize  himself  with  every  known 
method  of  treatment,  and  few  physicians  have  met  with 
more  unvarying  success.  He  practiced  first  at  Clyde, 
Wayne  County,  New  York,  where  he  remained  seven 
years.  In  1854  he  went  to  Michigan,  and  settled  at 
Lowell,  which  then  consisted  of  four  or  five  cabins  in 
the  woods.  Since  that  time  he  has  continued  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  his  profession  in  the  same  place.  Plis  business 
has  increased  rapidly  with  the  growth  of  the  country, 
and  his  name  has  been  intimately  identified  with  every 
enterprise  which  has  brought  Lowell  to  its  present  flour¬ 
ishing  condition.  He  served  during  the  late  war,  with 
the  rank  of  Captain,  in  the  2d  Michigan  Cavalry,  at 
Madrid,  Island  No.  10,  etc. ;  until,  after  eight  months 
of  service,  his  health  failed,  and  he  was  obliged  to  re¬ 
turn  home.  He  was  a  Democrat  until  the  Republican 
party  was  organized,  to  which  he  gave  his  support  until 
1875.  l^^en  identified  himself  with  the  National 

Greenback  party,  of  which  he  is  now  an  enthusiastic 
and  intelligent  member.  He  is  outspoken  in  his  convic¬ 
tions,  and  untiring  in  his  advocacy  of  his  political  prin¬ 
ciples.  He  has  been  Supervisor  of  Lowell  one  year, 
and  President  of  the  village  four  years.  He  was  mar¬ 
ried,  February  19,  1842,  at  Victory,  New  York,  to  B. 
Jane  Loucks.  Their  family  consists  of  two  sons  and 
a  daughter,  only  one  of  whom,  a  son,  is  unmarried. 
Dr.  Peck  is  the  oldest  physician  in  Lowell,  and  com¬ 
mands  the  most  extensive  practice  in  that  section  of  the 
country.  His  identification  with  the  town  since  its  in¬ 
fancy,  and  the  skill  and  judgment  which  he  combines 
with  great  ardor,  have  gained  for  him  a  high  posi¬ 
tion  in  the  community,  as  well  as  among  the  members 
of  the  medical  profession.  His  face  is  well  known,  and 
his  name  almost  a  household  word  in  the  town  of 
Lowell. 


1n;ARKER,  J.  Q.,  Dentist,  Grand  Rapids,  was  bon 
j  July  18,  1829,  in  Gainesville,  Wyoming  County 
New  York.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  earl} 
settlers  of  Western  New  Yoi'k.  Dr.  Parker  attendee 
school  in  his  native  village,  and  at  the  Genesee  Wesleyar 
Seminary,  of  Lima,  New  York.  He  afterwards  spent  : 
year  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  teaching  school  a  portior 
of  the  time,  and,  during  the  rest,  acting  as  clerk  in  a  dry 
goods  store.  After  spending  the  year  1853  a-s  a  student 
in  the  office  of  J.  M.  McColoch,  of  Castile,  New  York 
he  established  himself  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  whert 
he  has  since  remained  in  the  practice  of  dentistry.  Hi; 
thorough  knowledge  of  his  profession,  close  attention  tc 


business,  and  courteous  deportment,  have  been  the  means 
of  gaining  for  him  an  extensive  and  steadily  increasing 
practice.  He  has  been  largely  identified  with  the  edu¬ 
cational  interests  of  the  city.  He  contributed  to  the 
formation  of  a  society  for  the  study  of  natural  history ; 
and  has  also  aided  in  gathering  the  materials  for  the 
Kent  Scientific  Institute,  which  has  one  of  the  finest 
collections  in  the  State.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education  for  several  years.  Doctor  Parker  is 
held  in  high  esteem,  not  only  by  his  professional  brethren, 
but  by  his  personal  acquaintances.  His  unblemished  rep¬ 
utation,  his  intelligence  and  skill,  make  him  an  ornament 
to  society  and  the  profession  he  has  chosen.  On  March 
31,  1857,  he  married  Emily  J.,  daughter  of  C.  I.  Stone, 
of  Grand  Rapids.  They  have  three  childreii. 

- KX - 

SAMUEL  B.,  of  Muskegon,  was  born  at 
f  j  iji  Cheshire,  Connecticut,  February  22,  1805.  His 
'f  parents,  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Brooks)  Peck, 
were  natives  of  the  same  jDlace.  A  printed  record 
traces  the  history  of  the  Brooks  family  back  to  the 
emigration  of  Henry  and  John  Brooks  from  Cheshire, 
England,  to  the  New  Plaven  Colony  about  1670.  The 
forefather  of  this  branch  of  the  family  was  Henry,  a 
shoer  of  horses  in  Cromwell’s  army.  Three  brothers  of 
Mr.  Peck,  who  settled  in  Livingston  and  Wyoming 
counties.  New  York,  were  men  of  considerable  note. 
On  the  old  homestead,  inherited  by  the  children  of  the 
youngest  brother,  is  a  rocky  cavern,  called  “  Scotch 
Rocks,”  remarkable  for  having  sheltered  the  regicides, 
Goff  and  Whalley.  Tradition  also  traces  the  Peck  fam¬ 
ily  back  several  generations  to  English  ancestry.  The 
father  of  Samuel  B.  Peck  became  a  Colonel  in  the 
United  States  Army;  he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
many  years.  In  the  War  of  1S12,  he  was  ordered,  as 
Captain,  to  garrison  a  fort  at  New  London.  Mr.  Peck’s 
earliest  recollections  are  of  life  in  his  grandmother’s 
house  in  Connecticut,  where  his  father  was  born,  and 
of  Caesar,  a  slave  boy.  In  1809  he  removed  with  his 
father  to  Prospect,  Connecticut,  where  he  was  sent  to 
school  for  a  time;  his  acquirements,  however,  were  not 
limited  to  the  elementary  principles  taught  there.  As 
he  was  the  second  of  eight  sons,  he  found  it  necessary 
to  provide  for  himself;  and,  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
began  his  work  by  teaching.  He  never  ceased  to  be  a 
student,  making  books  his  tutors.  He  was  fond  of 
country  life,  and  would  have  devoted  himself  to  agri¬ 
culture  and  fruit  growing,  if  he  could  have  selected  his 
occupation,  but  circumstances  seemed  to  force  him  into 
mercantile  life.  From  1825  to  1829,  he  was  engaged  as 
clerk  in  the  post-offices  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and 
Canandaigua,  New  York.  He  found  the  night  work  in 
the  latter  place  so  irksome  that  he  left,  and  went  into  a 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


93 


store  in  the  village.  Fie  passed  some  time  as  clerk  in 
Granville,  Ohio,  and  East  Bloomfield,  New  York;  and, 
in  1831,  entered  into  partnership  with  Henry  Compton. 
With  a  joint  capital  of  five  hundred  dollars,  the  savings 
of  their  clerkships,  they  opened  a  store  in  Covington, 
New  York.  Two  years  after,  his  brother-in-law  joined 
in  purchasing  the  stock  of  goods,  but  remained  on  the 
farm,  leaving  the  management  of  the  business  to  Mr. 
Peck.  After  four  years,  they  removed  to  East  Bloom¬ 
field,  and  traded  there  until  1838.  The  next  five  years, 
he  was  engaged  at  Avon;  and,  in  1843,  in  connection 
with  T.  Devereux,  he  opened  a  store  in  Gorham,  New 
York.  In  1845,  Devereux  having  withdrawn  his 
capital  and  become  insolvent,  Mr.  Peck  formed  a  part¬ 
nership  with  James  M.  Pulver,  and  subsequently  with 
J.  B.  Murphy.  In  1859,  having  made  investments  in 
the  County  of  Montcalm  which  required  frequent  visits 
to  Michigan,  he  removed  to  Muskegon,  and  continued 
in  business  there  until  burned  out  in  the  great  fire  of 
1874.  Mr.  Peck  held  the  office  of  President  of  the  vil¬ 
lage  of  Muskegon  in  1861  and  1862,  and  Supervisor  of 
the  township  including  the  village  in  1864,  1868,  and 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  demonstrate  the 
adaptability  of  the  soil  and  climate  of  that  region  to 
horticulture  and  pomology,  an^  he  has  enjoyed  some 
reputation  as  a  writer  upon  these  and  other  subjects. 
He  has  never  been  party  to  a  failure,  except  as  creditor; 
has  never  been  sued  for  debt,  except  as  surety  for 
others.  He  contributed  five  hundred  dollars  to  bring 
the  railroad  to  Muskegon,  and  has  given  liberally  to  all 
public  enterprises.  Mr.  Peck’s  business  relations  have 
been  remarkably  pleasant,  free  from  contention  or  sus¬ 
picion.  Just  and  generous  in  his  dealings  with  others, 
he  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  those  who 
know  him.  He  married,  in  April,  1833,  Dency  Cooke, 
of  Rensselaerville,  New  York.  They  have  had  three 
children. 

- K>* - 

^^X®IRCE,  JOHN  W.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born 
in  Genesee,  Livingston  County,  New  York,  De- 
cember  4,  1814.  Fie  was  one  of  a  family  of 
three  brothers  and  three  sisters.  His  parents 
emigrated  from  Virginia  to  Western  New  York  about 
the  time  of  the  War  of  1812.  In  that  war  his  father, 
John  Peirce,  distinguished,  himself  by  honorable  service, 
and  won  the  rank  of  Colonel.  John  W.  Peirce  came 
upon  the  stage  of  human  action  at  a  time  when  the 
country  had  just  passed  successfully  through  a  second 
war  with  Great  Britain.  He  early  heard  accounts  of  the 
hardships  of  frontier  life,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
went  West,  like  thousands  of  others,  to  seek  a  home 
and  fortune.  Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had  ac¬ 
quired  a  good  common-school  education,  and  had  fin¬ 


ished  a  limited  course  of  study  at  the  Canandaigu.a 
Academy,  then  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Professor 
Howe.  Subsequently,  he  acted  as  clerk  for  Mr.  H.  Gor¬ 
ham,  of  Canandaigua,  who  was  then  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  the  town.  It  was  while  with  this  gentle¬ 
man  that  he  resolved  to  try  the  almost  unknown  West. 
He  arrived  at  Detroit  in  1835,  where  he  remained,  as 
clerk  for  Jason  Swift,  until  the  late  Flon.  Charles  11. 
Carroll  purchased  what  was  known  as  the  village  of 
Kent.  In  1836  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  and 
opened  a  bookstore  —  in  one  of  the  two  buildings  erected 
by  the  Kent  Company  for  the  United  States,  when  it 
was  expected  that  the  Government  Land  Office  would 
be  located  at  Grand  Rapids.  The  project  failed,  how¬ 
ever,  and  Ionia  bore  off  the  coveted  prize.  Mr.  Peirce’s 
bookstore  was  situated  on  the  north-east  corner  of  Kent 
and  Bronson  streets,  where  he  remained  until  1844. 
Fie  then  engaged  in  the  dry-goods  and  miscellaneous 
trade,  on  the  corner  of  Canal  and  Erie  streets.  There, 
about  ten  years  later,  he  built  the  first  brick  store 
erected  on  Canal  street, —  a  handsome  three-story  build¬ 
ing.  The  fire  of  1871  destroyed  four  stores  which,  by 
energy  and  prudence,  he  had  built,  and  irpon  whicli 
there  was  little  or  no  insurance.  This  calamity  entailed 
a  loss  of  thirty-one  thousand  dollars;  but,  with  charac¬ 
teristic  determination,,  he  soon  replaced  the  structures 
which  had  been  burned.  F"or  twenty-six  consecutive 
years  he  continued  in  trade  on  the  same  spot.  In  1842 
he  erected  the  house  on  Ottawa  street,  in  which  he  lived, 
uninterruptedly,  until  his  removal,  in  1871,  into  the  ele¬ 
gant  mansion  in  which  he  resided  until  his  death.  Much 
of  the  work  required  in  the  erection  of  the  old  house,  as 
it  was  called,  was  done  by  his  own  hands,  at  a  time 
when  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  either  labor  or  money. 
In  more  senses  than  one,  he  may  be  said  to  have  carved 
his  own  fortune.  Mr.  Peirce  was,  for  many  years,  the 
confidential  agent  of  Judge  Carroll,  of  Groveland,  New 
York,  who  had  large  interests  at  Grand  Rapids.  He 
managed  the  estate  of  that  distinguished  gentleman  with 
great  faithfulness  and  ability.  Fie  was  secretary  of  the 
original  Grand  Rapids  Lyceum,  which  existed  from  1837 
to  1844.  Fie  has  occupied  several  important  places  of 
trust;  such  as  Supervisor,  School  Inspector,  and  School 
Trustee.  He  has  been  stockholder  in  various  corpora¬ 
tions;  among  them  the  City  National  Bank,  in  which 
he  was  also  a  Director.  In  his  dress  and  his  manner  of 
living,  Mr.  Peirce  was  plain  and  unostentatious;  viewing 
all  questions  pertaining  to  the  trivial  things  of  life  from 
a  practical  and,  perhaps,  severe  stand-point.  Flis  great 
geniality,  however,  made  his  presence  always  welcome; 
while  his  wit  and  flow  of  spirits  were  well-springs  of  de¬ 
light.  He  was  temperate  in  all  things.  He  married,  in 
1842,  Sarah  L.  Roberts,  only  daughter  of  the  late  Colo¬ 
nel  Amos  Roberts.  They  had  three  children.  He  was 
one  of  the  subscribers  to  the  Episcopal  Church  organ- 


94 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICPIIGAN. 


ized  in  Grand  Rapids  in  1S38,  and  its  constant  attend¬ 
ant  for  thirty-six  years.  He  has  several  times  been  a 
vestryman  of  St.  Mark’s  Church,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  committee  on  the  erection  of  the  original  stone  church 
in  1846.  This  building  now  stands,  remodeled  and  im¬ 
proved,  at  the  head  of  Pearl  street.  In  his  habits,  Mr. 
Peirce  was  precise  and  regular,  even  to  formality.  His 
books,  papers,  files,  and  records  were  scrupulously  exact 
and  methodical.  His  large  business  was  transacted  in 
such  a  way  as  to  challenge  the  good-will  and  retain  the 
confidence  of  his  customers.  When  the  labors  of  the 
day  were  ended,  he  sought  rest  and  relaxation  in  a  home 
provided  with  all  needed  comforts,  amid  the  sanctities  of 
which  he  found  great  happiness.  He  died  October  25, 
1874. 

- - - 

^  ^';EIRCE,  HON.  PETER  R.  L.,  Lawyer,  Grand 
{  r  Rapids,  is  the  .son  of  John  Peirce,  originally  of 
Virginia,  and  was  born  at  Geneseo,  Livingston 
4^  County,  New  York,  May  25,  1823.  During  his 
early  boyhood,  he  attended  the  common  schools  of  Gen¬ 
eseo  and  Canandaigua.  In  1836  he  went  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  where  he  attended  night  schools,  and  read 
law  with  Hale  &  Harding,  attorneys.  In  1840  he  re¬ 
moved  to  Grand  Rapids,  entering,  as  a  student,  the  law 
office  of  George  Martin,  and  keeping  a  bookstore  at 
the  same  time.  In  1843  Mr.  Peirce  removed  to  Cincin¬ 
nati,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  remain¬ 
ing  seven  years.  During  this  time,  he  became  greatly 
interested  in  the  cause  of  temperance.  At  the  earnest 
request  of  Lyman  Beecher,  Judge  Bellamy  Storer,  and 
others,  he  wrote  a  history  of  the  order  of  the  Sons  of 
'1  emperance,  in  Ohio.  One  hundred  thousand  copies 
were  printed  and  circulated  through  the  State.  Mr. 
Peirce  wrote  largely  for  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  the 
Times,  and  Daily  Queen  City,  on  various  public  matters 
of  interest.  He  returned  to  Grand  Rapids  in  1850,  and 
continued  in  mercantile  business  for  five  years.  He  was 
elected  Clerk  of  Kent  County  and  its  courts,  for  several 
successive  terms  of  two  years  each ;  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate  for  two  years,  in  1868,  and  became  Chair¬ 
man  of  the  Standing  Committee  on  Education.  He  in¬ 
troduced,  and  advocated  to  its  final  passage,  a  bill  for 
abolishing  the  rate  bill,  and  for  making  the  primary 
schools  free.  He  also  drew  up  the  report  which  resulted 
in  the  passage  of  the  bill  whereby  the  first  moneys  were 
appropriated  from  the  State  treasury  in  aid  of  the  Univer¬ 
sity  of  Michigan.  This  appropriation  has  been  continued, 
the  amount  being  increased  each  year.  He  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  city  in  1854;  and  Mayor  of  Grand  Rapids,  in 
1873,  again  in  1875  and  1876.  The  Young  Men’s  Ly¬ 
ceum,  which  was  formed  in  1837,  received  active  support 
from  Mr.  Peirce.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Grand 
Rapids  in  1877,  by  President  Hayes.  He  has  written  on 


various  topics  for  the  public  press,  and  lectured  on  dif¬ 
ferent  subjects  throughout  the  State,  gaining  more  than 
a  local  reputation ;  and  it  is  a  curious  incident  in  the 
life  of  Mr.  Peirce  that,  for  seventeen  consecutive  years, 
he  has  delivered  an  oration  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  in 
some  town  in  the  State.  He  has  been  connected  with 
educational  interests,  either  as  trustee  or  as  member  of 
the  School  Board,  for  a  number  of  years;  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Land  Department  of  the 
Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana  Railroad  Company  for  seven 
years.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
at  Grand  Rapids,  since  1843,  and  assisted  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  the  first  Episcopal  Church  erected  in  that 
city.  Mr.  Peirce  has  been  a  vestryman  of  St.  Mark’s 
Church  for  fifteen  years,  representing  that  parish  each 
year  in  the  several  State  Conventions.  He  was  jone  of 
the  four  lay  delegates  from  the  State  Convention  to  the 
General  Convention,  held  at  New  York,  in  1874,  at  which 
time  the  celebrated  case  of  President  George  F.  Sey¬ 
mour  was  under  discussion  for  six  days,  in  secret  session, 
for  confirmation  as  Bishop  of  Illinois.  He  was  again 
delegate,  to  the  General  Convention  of  1877,  in  Boston. 
Mr.  Peirce  has  always  been  an  active  Republican.  In 
May,  1843,  he  was  married  to  Ellen  E.,  daughter  of 
Chester  Steel,  of  Hinesburg,  Vermont,  who  died  in  1858. 
He  was  again  united  in  marriage,  in  April,  i860,  to  Miss 
Cora,  daughter  of  Samuel  Mitchell,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
New  York.  Up  to  the  date  of  this  publication  he  has 
been  twenty-seven  years  a  resident  of  Grand  Rapids. 


dERSON,  REV.  JOB,  Presbyterian  Minister,  of 
I  Ionia,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Schaghticoke,  Rens- 
j'|Aselaer  County,  New  York,  February  3,  1824,  and 
was  the  second  son  and  third  child  of  Job  and 
Clarissa  T.  Pierson.  His  father  was  born  in  Southamp¬ 
ton,  Long  Island,  where  the  founder  of  the  family,  a 
Puritan  colonist,  settled  in  1643.  His- mother  was  a 
native  of  Colchester,  Connecticut,  and  her  paternal  an¬ 
cestors  were  the  Bulkeleys,  who  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  that  town.  After  attending  a  district  school 
in  his  native  place,  Mr.  Pierson  spent  portions  of  the 
years  1834  and  1835  at  Bennington,  Vermont,  in  a  school 
then  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  James  Ballard.  His 
father  having,  in  the  autumn  of  1835,  removed  to  Troy, 
New  York,  he  went  from  Bennington  to  that  city, 
and  there  continued  his  preparatory  studies.  In  1838 
he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which  institution  he 
graduated  in  1842.  After  spending  two  years  in  his 
father’s  law  office,  he  entered  Auburn  Theological  Sem¬ 
inary  in  the  fall  of  1844,  and  finished  his  course  of  study 
there  in  1847.  On  leaving  the  seminary  he  supplied  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Corning,  New  York,  for 
nearly  a  year  and  a  half.  In  1850  he  accepted  a  call  to 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


95 


the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Pittsford,  New  York,  and 
was  there  regularly  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  Gospel 
ministry.  In  the  summer  of  1856,  he  resigned  his 
charge  and  spent  several  months  abroad,  making  the  tour 
of  Great  Britain.  On  his  return,  he  accepted  a  call 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Victor,  New  York, 
of  which  he  remained  pastor  until^  the  autumn  of 
1863.  He  then  removed  to  Kalamazoo,  Michigan, 
and  entered  upon  his  duties  as  clergyman  in  that 
place.  In  July,  1868,  he  was  called  to  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  of  Ionia,  of  which  he  is  still  the  pastor. 
He  was  Moderator  of  the  Synod  of  Michigan  in  1872-73. 
Mr.  Pierson  is  literary  in  his  tastes,  and  fond  of  study. 
He  has  one  of  the  largest  private  libraries  in  the  State, 
particularly  rich  in  the  department  of  English  Literature, 
to  which  subject  he  devotes  much  of  his  leisure  time. 
Occasionally,  he  writes  for  the  religious  press,  and 
gives  private  instruction  to  the  young.  He  is  the 
earnest  friend  of  education,  and,  in  various  ways,  has 
labored  to  promote  its  interests  in  this  State.  Though 
in  his  religious  views  a  decided  Calvinist,  he  is  by  no 
means  illiberal  or  sectarian.  A  gentleman  of  the  legal 
profession,  who  has  long  known  him,  writes  as  follows: 
“He  is  a  man  of  rare  ability  and  superior  culture; 
ranking,  for  high  attainments  and  spirituality,  among 
the  first  in  his  denomination.  He  is  distinguished  for 
his  liberality  towards  all  who  call  themselves  Christians, 
and  has  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  brethren  in 
the  ministry.”  In  February,  1849,  Mr.  Pierson  married 
Miss  Rachel  W.  Smith,  of  Geneva,  New  York,  by  whom 
he  has  had  five  children, —  one  daughter  and  four  sons,  all 
of  whom  are  living. 

- ►o* - 


jflARKS,  GEORGE,  of  Grand  Haven,  was  born  in 
lij  the  town  of  Fleming,  Cayuga  County,  New  York, 
October  17,  1817.  His  father,  Robert  Parks,  was 
born  in  Rhode  Island,  February  12,  1776.  He 
wmnt  to  Cayuga  County,  New  York,  in  1794,  and  com¬ 
menced  an  apprenticeship  to  a  tanner  and  currier.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  was  married  to  Polly  Smith, 
who  lived  until  June  30,  1844.  Soon  after  his  marriage, 
he  moved  on  to  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Fleming,  and 
remained  until  about  the  ist  of  May,  1823.  He  then 
started,  with  his  family,  for  Troy,  Oakland  County, 
Michigan,  where  he  had  previously  purchased  land.  They 
traveled  to  Buffalo,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  miles,  with  teams,  as  there  was  no  railroad, 
and  the  Erie  Canal  was  not  yet  completed.  The  “Supe¬ 
rior”  was  then  the  only  steamer  on  the  lakes;  and,  as 
it  was  not  in  port,  they,  with  twenty  other  families,  char¬ 
tered  a  vessel  called  the  “Red  Jacket,”  commanded  by 
Captain  Wilson,  and  arrived  in  Detroit,  May  23,  1823. 
For  fifteen  miles  around  the  city,  there  was  an  almost. 


Impenetrable  swamp,  and  Captain  Parks’  family  were 
three  days  in  going  from  Detroit  to  Troy,  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles.  For  several  weeks  they  lived  in  a  small 
log  house,  the  floor  of  which  they  covered  at  night  with 
burrs.  In  due  course  of  time,  a  comfortable  house  was 
built ;  then  a  fine  one,  and  a  large  and  productive  farm 
was  cleared  and  improved.  March  2,  1810,  Captain 
Parks  enlisted  in  the  New  York  State  Militia,  and  became 
a  member  of  the  158th  Regiment  of  New  York  Infantry 
in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  made  Captain  of  a  company, 
and  served  as  such  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  On  his  death,  June 
29,  1863,  the  following  article  appeared  in  one  of  the 
daily  papers:  “Robert  Parks  was  a  veteran  of  the  War 
of  1812,  and  died  at  Captain  Ganoe’s  in  this  city,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Mr.  Parks  was  a  Democrat 
from  the  time  of  the  organization  of  that  party  to  the 
day  of  his  death  ;  but,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebell¬ 
ion,  he  was  a  War  Democrat  of  the  most  thoroughly 
loyal  stamp,  and  ardent  in  his  support  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment  and  the  measures  adopted  to  carry  on  the  war  and 
put  down  the  Rebellion.  When  his  grandson.  Captain 
C.  P.  Parks,  enlisted,  and  started  for  the  front  on  the 
Western  Gunboat  Expedition,  from  which,  with  so  many 
other  gallant  boys,  he  was  destined  never  to  return,  the 
old  gentleman  gave  him  his  blessing,  wit'll  the  injunction 
to  remember  the  valor  of  his  Revolutionary  sires,  and 
permit  no  stain  upon  their  loyal  fame.  When  asked  if 
he  thought  the  country  would  ‘stand  the  draft’  the 
first  of  the  war,  he  answered:  ‘Stand  it!  of  course  it 
will.  The  Government  is  our  Government;  the  nation 
is  our  nation;  they  must  be  maintained  and  saved.’  He 
ardently  wished  to  live  to  see  the  triumphant  close  of 
the  war,  but  he  passed  away  in  1863.  He  was  born  on 
the  day  of  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  in  1776,  his  father 
being  in  the  Army  of  the  Revolution,  and  at  the  time 
engaged  in  that  battle.  The  following  Ensign’s  commis¬ 
sion,  issued  to  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  interesting 
in  this  connection  as  a  specimen  of  the  style  of  such 
documents  at  the  time  it  was  given: 

‘TliE  PEOPLE  of  the  State  of  New  York,  by  iJie  Grace 
of  God,  Free  and  Independent : 

‘To  Robert  Parks,  Gentleman,  Greeting: 

‘WE,  reposing  official  trust  and  confidence,  as  well  in 
your  Patriotism,  Conduct,  and  Loyalty,  as  in  your  Valor, 
and  readiness  to  do  us  good  and  faithful  service,  HAVE 
appointed  and  constituted,  and  by  these  Presents,  DO 
appoint  and  constitute  you,  the  said  ROBERT  PARKS, 
Ensign  of  a  Company  in  the  Regiment  of  Militia,  in  the 
county  of  Cayuga,  whereof  John  Harris,  Esquire,  is 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Commandant:  YOU  are  therefore 
to  take  the  said  Company  into  your  charge  and  care,  as 
Ensign  thereof,  and  duly  to  exercise  the  officers  and  sol¬ 
diers  of  that  company,  in  arms,  who  are  hereby  com¬ 
manded  to  obey  you  as  their  Ensign,  and  you  are  also 
to  observe  and  follow  such  orders  and  directions  as  you 
shall  from  time  to  time  receive  from  our  Cieneral  and 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Militia  of  our  said  State,  or 


96 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICPIIGAN. 


any  other  your  superior  officer,  according  to  the  Rules 
and  Discipline  of  War,  in  pursuance  of  the  trust  reposed 
in  you;  and  for  so  doing,  this  shall  be  your  commission, 
for  and  during  our  good  pleasure,  to  be  signified  by  our 
Council  of  Appointment. 

‘IN  TESTIMONY  WHEREOF,  We  have  caused  the 
Seal  for  Military  Commissions  to  be  hereunto  affixed: 
Witness  our  Trusty  and  well  beloved  DANIEL  D. 
TOMPKINS,  Esquire,  Governor  of  our  said  State 
General  and  Commander  in  Chief  of  all  the  Militia, 
and  Admiral  of  the  Navy  of  the  same,  by  and  with 
the  Advice  and  Consent  of  our  Council  of  Appoint¬ 
ment,  at  our  office  in  Albany,  the  twelfth  Day  of 
March,  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  One  Thousand 
Eight  Hundred  and  Ten,  and  in  the  Thirty-fourth 
Year  of  our  Independence. 

‘  Passed  the  Secretary’s-Office,  the  27th  Day  of  April, 
1810.  DANIEL  D.  TOMPKINS. 

‘Daniel  Hale,  Secretary.’” 

Captain  Parks’  family  consisted  of  fourteen  children, 
all  but  two  of  whom  lived  to  mature  age.  His  oldest 
son,  Calvin  C.  Parks,  was  born  April  5,  1805.  After 
receiving  a  common-school  education,  he  commenced 
the  study  of  law  at  Pontiac.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1842,  and  afterwards  became  a  prominent  lawyer 
in  his  own  State.  In  1849  he  moved  to  Waukegan,  Illi¬ 
nois,  and  practiced  law  there  for  many  years.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  was  traveling  and  financial  member 
of  the  firm  of  Ferry,  Williams  &  Parks,  and  had  an 
office  in  Chicago  and  one  in  Waukegan.  The  second 
son.  Captain  Robert  S.  Parks,  was  born  May  13,  1810, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  schools  near  his  home. 
In  1836-7  he  was  a  prominent  speculator  in  Michigan; 
and,  about  the  year  1844,  moved  to  Grand  Rapids.  He 
engaged,  among  other  things,  in  running  steamboats  on 
Grand  River,  and  thus  derived  his  title  of  Captain.  The 
Indian  name  “Nawbeck,”  which  means  “he  bear,”  was 
given  him  in  1836,  while  he  was  looking  for  land  and 
speculating.  William  H.  Parks,  who  was  next  younger 
than  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  November  22, 
1819.  He  was  educated  in  the  county  schools  with  the 
rest  of  the  family.  He  studied  law  with  Me.s.srs.  Hans- 
com  &  Struyer,  of  Pontiac,  and,  in  May,  1843,  "'as 
admitted  to  the  bar.  He  practiced  law  in  Grand  Rap¬ 
ids,  Grand  Haven,  and  in  various  places  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Michigan,  for  many  years;  and  has,  at  this  date, 
a  successful  practice  in  Marquette,  on  Lake  Superior. 
The  youngest  son,  Edward  W.  Parks,  enlisted  in  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  as  First  Assistant  Engineer  of  the 
iron-clad  steamer  (Mississippi  squadron)  “Ozoca,”  and 
remained  until  after  the  Red  River  expedition.  While 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  waiting  for  the  rest  of  the 
fleet,  he  learned  of  the  death  of  his  nephew,  Charles  P. 
Parks,  son  of  Captain  R.  S.  Parks.  He  was  Chief-Engi¬ 
neer  of  Commodore  Porter’s  flag-ship,  and  was  killed  by 
a  twelve-pound  shot  from  a  rebel  battery  while  standing 
at  his  engine,  descending  Red  River.  Edward  W.  Parks 
was  so  excited  and  enraged  that  he  deteiunined  to  take 


the  life  of  every  man  he  could  in  the  rebel  army.  He 
accordingly  went  out  with  a  foraging  party,  but  was  sur¬ 
rounded  by  the  enemy.  He  jumped  into  the  river, 
and,  about  an  hour  afterwards,  was  picked  up  by  his  own 
boat,  nearly  exhausted,  being  the  only  one  of  the  party 
who  escaped.  From  this  exposure  he  contracted  a  chronic 
disorder,  from  which  he  never  recovered.  He  returned 
home  but  to  die;  his  remains  were  taken  to  the  old 
family  cemetery,  where  his  father  was  buried.  George 
Parks,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  eighth  child. 
He  attended  the  district  schools,  and  worked  on  a  farm 
until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  was  sent  to 
the  academy  at  Pontiac  for  six  months.  January  14, 
1846,  he  was  married,  in  Troy,  Oakland  County,  Michi¬ 
gan,  to  Permelia  Wattles,  daughter  of  Deacon  Alexander 
Wattles,  of  Binghamton,  New  York;  and,  in  December 
of  the  same  year,  moved  to  a  fine  farm  in  Berlin,  Ionia 
County,  Michigan.  In  the  spring  of  1843,  moved  to 
the  village  of  Ionia,  where  he  kept  a  public-house  called 
“The  Cottage.”  In  August,  1844,  he  settled  in  Grand 
Haven,  which  was  then  a  small  town  of  only  two  or 
three  hundred  inhabitants.  He  was  principally  engaged, 
until  1852,  in  the  woods  among  the  Indians,  looking  up 
lands  and  timber.  At  the  November  election  of  1852, 
he  was  made  Treasurer  of  Ottawa  County,  and  held  the 
office,  with  the  exception  of  one  term  of  two  years,  for 
twelve  consecutive  years.  The  duties  of  this  office  were 
very  arduous,  as  that  county,  up  to  the  year  1858, 
included  what  are  now  the  counties  of  Ottawa,  Manistee, 
Mason,  Oceana,  and  Muskegon;  and  the  Treasurer  was 
required  to  describe  and  make  returns  of  all  the  lands 
located.  The  salary,  for  the  first  year,  was  four  hundretl 
dollars;  but  it  was  finally  increased  to  nine  hundred. 
During  this  time,  the  county  was  strongly  Republican, 
and  Mr.  Parks  was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  by 
small  majorities.  In  the  fall  of  1864,  he  was  nominated, 
on  the  Democratic  ticket,  for  Judge  of  Probate  of  Ottawa 
County,  and  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority  over 
Hon.  A.  W.  Taylor,  who  had  held  the  office  eight  years. 
In  April,  1867,  Mr.  Parks  was  elected  the  first  Mayor 
of  the  city  of  Grand  Haven,  over  Hon.  Dwight  Cutler, 
Republican  candidate.  He  held  the  office  for  one  year, 
and  refused  a  re-election.  In  the  spring  of  1864,  he 
entered  into  partnership,  for  one  year,  in  the  forwarding 
business  with  E.  W.  Barnes,  now  of  Grand  Rapids,  and 
also  purchased  an  interest  in  steamboats  on  Grand  River 
with  his  brother-in-law.  Captain  J.  Ganoe,  with  whom 
he  continued  three  years.  In  1865  he  took,  as  a  partner 
in  the  forwarding  business,  E.  D.  Blair,  now  of  Grand 
Haven,  and  continued  with  him  for  two  years,  the  firm 
name  being  Parks  &  Blair.  He  then  entered  into  a  con¬ 
nection  with  his  eldest  son,  Byron  \V.  Parks,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Parks  &  Son,  which  continued  for  several 
years.  During  this  time,  the  latter  firm  commenced 
repairing  and  fitting  up  the  “old  warehouse”  for  a  sash. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


97 


door,  and  blind  factory;  and,  by  the  year  1867,  every¬ 
thing  was  completed.  Finding,  however,  that  the  enter¬ 
prise  was  not  likely  to  succeed,  they  converted  it  to 
other  purposes.  He  has,  for  many  years,  been  more  or 
less  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade,  and  has  spent  most 
of  the  year  1876,  and  part  of  1877,  in  Tennessee,  dealing 
in  black  walnut.  He  is  still  living  on  Franklin  street, 
in  Grand  Haven,  where  he  has  been  for  twenty-one 
years.  Mr.  Parks  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  has 
held  many  offices.  Pie  was,  for  several  years,  Supervisor 
of  the  cityiand  township  of  Grand  Plaven.  In  the  fall 
of  1862,  he  ran  for  the  State  Senate  against  the  Hon. 
Stetson  Green,  and  was  defeated  by  fifty-three  votes, — 
the  District  giving  some  six  hundred  Republican  majority. 
He  is  a  Protestant  in  his  religious  views.  His  wife  and 
two  of  his  children  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
February  16,  1853,  he  joined  Lodge  No.  46  of  the  Inde¬ 
pendent  Order  of  Odd-Fellows,  in  Grand  Haven,  of 
which  he  has  been  a  valued  member.  He  has  been, 
several  times.  Noble  Grand  of  the  Lodge,  and  a  repre¬ 
sentative  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  In  1861  he  was  initiated 
as  an  Entered  Apprentice  Mason  at  Eastmansville 
Lodge.  In  the  fall  a  lodge  was  started  in  Grand  Haven, 
in  which  he  took  the  remaining  degrees,  being  made 
Worshipful  Master  the  same  year.  He  filled  the  position 
one  term,  and,  at  the  end  of  the  time,  received  a  very  fine 
Past-Master’s  jewel,  as  a  present  from  the  Lodge.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  year  he  was  a  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Ph'ee  and  Accepted  Masons.  October  15,  1872,  he  took 
the  first  degree  in  Corinthian  Chapter,  No.  84,  of  Grand 
Haven,  and  was  the  first  member  of  the  Royal  Arch  De¬ 
gree,  which  he  took  on  the  22d  of  November  following. 

■ - ♦<>• - - 

tfPELPS,  PHILIP,  JR.,  of  Plolland  City,  was 
born  at  Albany,  New  York,  July  12,  1826,  and 
was  the  sixth  child  of  Philip  and  Hannah  (Mar- 
croft)  Phelps.  His  ancestors  were  of  mingled 
Puritan,  Dutch,  and,  Scotch  descent.  His  father,  Philip 
Phelps,  was  born  at  Coeyman’s,  New  York,  July  4, 
1789,  and  was  the  son  of  John  Sawyer  Phelps,  of  He¬ 
bron,  Connecticut,  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  a  lineal  descendant  of  William  Phelps,  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Windsor,  Connecticut.  The  follow¬ 
ing  is  a  page  of  New  England  history: 

“On  the  15th  of  October,  1635,  William  Phelps  and 
family,  in  company  with  about  sixty  others,  set  forth 
from  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  to  the  valley  of  the 
Connecticut  River.  About  two  weeks  were  spent  on 
the  journey,  and  each  day  was  begun  and  ended  with 
prayer  and  songs  of  praise.  The  following  winter  was 
exceedingly  perilous  and  inclement.  "  They  were  com¬ 
pelled  to  live  part  of  the  time  on  acorns  and  nuts. 
Many  died  of  famine  and  frost,  and  a  large  number  of 
cattle  perished.  The  losses  were  estimated  at  two  thou¬ 
sand  pounds  sterling.” 

The  mother  of  Philip  Phelps,  Sen.,  was  Catherine 

08 


Conine,  of  Coxsackie,  New  York.  Her  father  was  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  under  the  Colonial  Government, 
and  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  during  the 
struggle  for  independence.  Her  paternal  ancestor, 
Leendert  Philips  Conine,  came  from  the  Netherlands 
as  early  as  1655.  Philip  Phelps,  Sen.,  was  married,  in 
1813,  to  Plannah  Marcroft,  of  Albany,  New  York. 
Her  father,  John  Marcroft,  of  Woodstock,  Connecticut, 
was  descended  from  one  of  the  earlier  colonists  of  Rox- 
bury,  Massachusetts;  and  her  mother  was  a  grand-daugh¬ 
ter  of  John  Annan,  and  came  from  Annandale,  Scotland, 
and  settled  in  Baskingridge,  New  Jersey,  about  half  a 
century  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Philip 
Phelps,  Sen.,  held  an  arduous  and  responsible  position 
in  the  Comptroller’s  office  of  the  State  of  New  York  for 
fifty  years;  and,  on  account  of  his  rare  fidelity  and  in¬ 
tegrity,  received  unusual  tokens  of  regard  from  the  State. 
For  more  than  half  a  century,  he  was  a  consistent  mem¬ 
ber  and  office-bearer  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church. 
On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1876,  the  eighty-seventh  anni¬ 
versary  of  his  own  birthday,  he  sat  at  his  window  in 
Albany  and  saw  the  great  Centennial  procession  file  by. 
A  few  days  after,  he  departed  this  life,  full  of  years  and 
honors,  survived  by  his  consort,  three  daughters,  and 
two  sons.  One  of  his  daughters  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Erasmus  Darwin  Jones,  of  Albany.  His  youngest  sou, 
William  L.  Marcy  Phelps,  is  Treasurer  of  the  Albany 
and  Susquehanna  Railroad.  His  other  son  is  Philip 
Phelps,  Jun.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Neither  time 
nor  money  was  spared  in  his  education.  He  spent 
nine  years  in  the  Albany  Academy,  then  one  of  the 
most  eminent  schools  in  the  country,  under  such  dis¬ 
tinguished  teachers  as  Di's.  T.  Romeyn  Beck,  Peter 
Bullions,  and  Philip  Ten  Eyck.  He  entered  the  junior 
class  of  Union  College,  at  Schenectady,  during  the  presi¬ 
dency  of  Dr.  Eliphalet  Nott,  and  the  vice-presidency  of 
Bishop  Alonzo  Potter,  and  was  graduated  in  1844,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen.  Among  his  classmates  were  Wm. 
H.  H.  Moore,  of  the  Atlantic  Insurance  Company  of 
New  York;  Professor  M.  Wendell  Lamoureux,  of  Union 
College;  Professor  Charles  A.  Joy,  of  Columbia  College; 
Governor  Alexander  H.  Rice,  of  Massachusetts ;  and 
Henry  E.  Niles,  D.  D.,  of  York,  Pennsylvania.  While 
in  college,  he  was  converted,  and  entered  the  communion 
of  the  church  whose  pastor  was  Isaac  N.  Wickoff,  D.  D. 
After  graduating,  he  spent  some  two  years  in  teaching, 
during  which  he  also  edited  the  Youths'  Temperance  En¬ 
terprise,  a  paper  published  by  the  New  York  State 
Youths’  Temperance  Society,  of  whose  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  he  was  Chairman.  In  1846  he  entered  the 
Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Church,  at  New 
Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  one  of  whose  professors  was 
the  gifted  but  eccentric  Alexander  McClelland,  D.  D. 
Plere  he  pursued  the  usual  course  of  three  years.  For 
six  months  of  this  time,  he  was  teacher  of  ancient 


98 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


languages  in  the  school  of  Major  Kinsley,  at  West  Point, 
and  kept  up  his  studies  by  means  of  notes  taken  by  his 
classmates  in  the  lecture-room  and  communicated  in  let¬ 
ters.  After  receiving  his  license  to  preach,  he  suffered 
for  a  number  of  months  from  ill  health.  ThiSj  however, 
proved  an  important  part  of  his  preparation  for  the 
ministry,  by  deepening  his  views  of  ministerial  consecra¬ 
tion.  It  led,  also,  to  a  life-long  friendship  with  Dr. 
Henry  Foster,  the  eminent  and  beloved  physician  of 
Clifton  Springs,  New  York.  At  length,  in  the  summer 
of  1850,  he  entered  upon  the  pastorate  of  the  old  Green- 
burg  Church,  in  Westchester  County,  New  York,  among 
whose  elders  had  been  Isaac  Yaii  Wort,  one  of  the  cap- 
tors  of  Andre.  This  charge  was  in  connection  with  a 
missionary  station  at  Hastings-upon-Hudson,  to  which, 
after  two  years,  he  devoted  his  whole  time,  and  was 
instrumental  in  establishing  a  strong  and  flourishing 
church.  Much  of  the  success  of  this  enterprise,  under 
the  Divine  blessing,  he  attributes  to  the  character  and 
labors  of  Elder  Albert  Chrystie  and  his  excellent  family. 
In  addition  to  his  ministerial  work,  Mr.  Phelps,  for 
several  years,  conducted  a  school  under  the  auspices  of 
Dr.  John  W.  Draper,  the  illustrious  author  and  educator. 
In  1853  he  was  married  to  Margaret  Anne  Jordan,  of 
Albany^  New  York,  whose  parents,  Edward  Jordan  and 
Jane  Howe,  came  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  were 
of  Huguenot  extraction.  Mr.  Phelps  has  four  children 
living,  namely:  Frances  Few  Chrystie,  Philip,  Eliza, 
and  Theodore  Seth.  The  last  received  his  name  because 
he  was  the  gift  of  God  after  the  death  of  a  son,  Edward 
Jordan  Howe,  whose  loss  had  been  a  peculiar  affliction. 
In  1859  Mr.  Phelps  accepted  an  appointment  as  Mis¬ 
sionary  Pastor  and  Principal  of  the  Academy  at  Holland, 
Michigan.  His  farewell  sermon  at  Hastings-upon-Hud- 
son,  from  2  Corinthians,  x.  15,  16,  reviewed  the  statistics 
of  his  charge,  as  follows:  “The  congregation,  though 
comparatively  small,  comprised  representatives  from 
England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Holland,  France,  Germany, 
Switzerland,  South  America,  and  Canada,  as  well  as 
from  various  sections  of  the  United  States.  The  mem¬ 
bership  included  those  who  had  been  formerly  connected 
with  the  Reformed  Dutch,  Episcopal,  Old  and  New 
School  Presbyterian,  Congregational,  Methodist,  Lu¬ 
theran,  and  different  European  churches  ;  while  there  had 
also  been  ainong  the  regular  attendants  and  pew-holders 
Baptists,  Friends,  Unitarians,  and  Romanists.”  Yet  he 
called  the  people  to  witness  that,  during  the  entire  nine 
years  of  his  ministry  among  them,  not  a  single  usage  of 
the  denomination  had  been  omitted,  nor  a  single  doc¬ 
trine  withheld  or  modified.  With  the  apostle,  he  said: 
“Grace  be  with  all  them  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
in  sincerity;”  and,  with  the  same  apostle,  added:  “If 
any  man  love  not  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be 
anathema  maranatha.'"  He  impressed  upon  them  his 
conviction  that  “any  one  who,  as  a  helpless,  ruined 


sinner,  believes  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  justification 
and  sanctification,  and  walks  in  a  new  and  righteous 
life,  is  a  Christian  and  will  be  saved.”  He  regards  his  own 
church  with  intense  and  intelligent  affection,  but  loves 
the  enlightened  catholic  profession  of  Christ,  wherever 
it  appears,  and  hails  the  day  when,  as  with  the  disciples 
at  Antioch,  the  whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth  shall 
be  named  of  Him  and  of  Him  alone.  He  was  called 
from  this  church, —  which  was  his  first  charge,  and  he 
its  first  pastor, — from  friends,  whose  superiors  he  could 
never  find,  and  from  a  locality  which,  through  close 
proximity  to  the  great  metropolis,  possessed  most  of  its 
advantages  and  at  the  same  time  was  a  paradise  of  rural 
charms,  to  a  Western  wilderness  —  to  make  a  home  among 
strangers.  He  obeyed  the  summons,  and  assumed  the 
charge  of  the  Holland  Academy.  This  school  had  been 
established  by  the  Reformed  Church,  through  the  instru¬ 
mentality  of  Dr.  Albertus  C.  Van  Raalte,  founder  of  the 
Holland  Colony  in  Michigan,  and  Dr.  John  Garretson, 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Missions.  Its  first  Principal 
was  Elder  Walter  T.  Taylor,  of  Geneva,  New  York, 
(1851-54),  who  taught  Latin  in  the  local  school.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Van  Vleck,  under  whom  the 
institution  began  to  assume  importance  as  a  preparatory 
school.  On  the  accession  of  Mr.  Phelps,  he  found  thirty- 
two  pupils,  of  whom  five  were  ready  for  Freshman  studies. 
His  first  efforts  were  directed  to  a  rigid  classification  of 
the  students  preparatory  to  separation  into  distinct  de¬ 
partments.  He  then  took  such  steps  as  were  requisite 
for  making  the  school  an  institution  complete  in  itself. 
This  led  to  the  formation,  in  1862,  of  the  first  Freshman 
Class,  of  nine  members,  which  was  followed,  in  1863,  by 
the  appointment  of  the  first  Board  of  Superintendents. 
Chiefly  through  the  exertions  and  sacrifices  of  Mr. 
Phelps,  a  sufficient  endowment  for  incorporation  was 
obtained  in  1866,  when  the  Holland  Academy  was 
elevated  into  Hope  College;  the  Board  of  Superintend¬ 
ents  becoming  its  Council,  and  the  Principal  its  Presi¬ 
dent.  Under  his  new  title,  Mr.  Phelps  was  duly  in¬ 
augurated,  July  12,  1866,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
graduating  a  class  of  eight  young  men,  as  the  first  fruits 
of  his  labors.  But  the  rapid  development  of  this  edu¬ 
cational  germ  did  not  stop  here.  The  first  class  which 
graduated  was  permitted,  at  its  own  request,  to  pursue 
theological  studies  in  the  new  college.  Thus  was  laid 
the  foundation  of  its  Theological  Department,  from 
which  about  thirty  have  since  entered  the  ministry. 
The  endowment  fund,  by  the  co-operation  with  the 
President,  of  Dr.  Van  Raalte  ami  Professors  Oggel, 
Rollen,  and  others,  has  risen  to  upward  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  Among  the  principal  benefactors  of 
the  college  are  Samuel  B.  Schieffelin,  James  Suydam, 
William  H.  H.  Moore,  the  family  of  Colonel  William 
Few,  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  De  Witt,  Morris  R.  Jessup,  of 
New  York  City,  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  and  Mrs.  Mar- 


I 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


99 


garet  L.  Abbe,  of  Albany,  New  York.  In  1864  Mr. 
Phelps  was  chosen  President  of  the  General  Synod, 
Reformed  Church  of  America,  at  its  annual  session  at 
Schenectady,  New  York,  and  received  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity  from  the  University  of  New  York. 
Among  other  labors,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a  Publi¬ 
cation  Department  for  the  college,  by  securing  a  printing 
establishment  and  issuing  three  numbers  of  a  theological 
periodical  called  The  Searcher.  Pie  still  remains  at  the 
head  of  the  institution  with  whose  early  struggles  he  has 
been  so  closely  identified. 


*^^^HILLIPS,  HORACE,  A.  M.,  Superintendent  of 
the  Grand  Haven  Public  Schools,  was  born  at 
Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  September  15,  1846,  and 
V*!  was  the  son  of  William  H.  and  Olive  (Weld) 
Phillips.  His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the 
union  school  at  Ypsilanti,  under  the  direction  of  Rev. 
Joseph  Estabrook.  He  graduated  in  June,  1866.  In 
the  following  year,  he  entered  the  University  of  Michi¬ 
gan,  from  which  he  graduated  as  A.  B.  in  1871.  Three 
years  later,  he  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  He  com¬ 
menced  teaching  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  was 
thus  occupied  two  years  and  a  half  before  entering  the 
University.  After  graduating,  he  had  charge  of  union 
schools  five  years,  and  was  one  year  Principal  of  the 
high  school  at  Flint.  From  Flint  he  removed  to  St. 
Clair,  where  he  was  Superintendent  of  schools  for  three 
years.  In  1877,  he  accepted  the  position  of  Superin¬ 
tendent  of  Grand  Haven  public  schools.  Mr.  Phillips 
gained  his  collegiate  education  almost  entirely  through 
his  own  efforts,  making  available  the  knowledge  he  had 
already  acquired  by  teaching  to  cover  his  expenses.  He 
attributes  his  success  to  patient,  earnest  industry,  and  to 
habits  of  strict  temperance.  During  three  sessions  of 
the  State  Senate,  he  has  officiated  as  Assistant  Secre¬ 
tary.  He  was  married,  August  7,  1872,  to  Fanny  M. 
Jones.  They  have  one  daughter.  Mr.  Phillips  is  modest 
and  genial;  a  man  of  thorough  culture,  and  eminently 
successful  as  a  teacher. 


•o*  - 

^:j\|LATT,  ALONZO,  M.  D.,  was  born  at  Stephen- 
Rensselaer  County,  New  York,  on  the  loth 
day  of  January,  1806.  His  father.  Judge  Henry 
Platt,  was  a  farmer,  miller,  and  merchant.  His 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Susan  De  La  Vergne, 
was  a  descendant  of  the  French  Huguenots.  Dr.  Platt 
prepared  for  college,  at  the  academy  of  Lenox,  Berk¬ 
shire  County,  Massachusetts ;  but,  as  he  was  about  to 
enter,  he  was  suddenly  attacked  with  inflammation  of  the 
eyes,  which  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  idea  of  a 
college  course.  In  1825  he  began  the  study  of.  medi¬ 


cine  and  surgery  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Wright,  of  New 
Lebanon,  New  York,  remaining  two  years;  he  then 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  John  De  La  Mater,  of  Shef¬ 
field,  Massachusetts,  and  continued  with  him  until  1829, 
in  which  year  he  graduated  at  the  Berkshire  Medical 
College.  In  1830  he  commenced  the  practice  of  medi¬ 
cine  at  Port  Gibson,  Ontario  County,  New  York,  and 
remained  until  the  spring  of  1832,  when  he  removed  to 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  Ten  years  later.  Dr.  Platt  came 
to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  has  since  resided.  For  a 
number  of  years,  his  practice  was  large  and  laborious ; 
but,  recently,  owing  to  ill  health,  he  has  retired  from 
the  more  active  duties’  of  his  profession,  giving  a  por¬ 
tion  of  his  time  to  consultations  and  to  services  among 
the  poor,  and  having  charge  of  St.  Mark’s  Home  and 
Hospital.  He  has  a  free  dispensary,  which  is  kept  up  at 
his  own  expense.  Dr.  Platt’s  first  vote  was  cast  in  favor 
of  the  Whig  ticket;  since  that  time  he  has  acted  with 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Episco¬ 
pal  Church,  and  has  been  Senior  Warden  for  over  thirty 
years ;  he  is  a  prominent  layman  in  the  diocese  of  West-^ 
ern  Michigan,  being  a  member  of  the  standing  com¬ 
mittee,  and  occupying  other  positions  of  honor  and  trust. 
In  the  fall  of  1832,  he  married  Miss  Laurella  Smith, 
daughter  of  Stoddard  Smith,  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Greene  County,  New  York.  Dr.  Platt  has  been  assidu¬ 
ous  in  the  duties  of  his  profession,  and  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  best  physicians  in  Grand  Rapids.  He  is  a 
straightforward,  conscientious  gentleman  of  the  old 
school. 

- •o* - 


|RITCHARD,  BENJAMIN  D.,  Brevet-General, 
Banker  and  Lawyer,  of  Allegan,  was  born  inWilson 
Township,  Portage  County,  Ohio,  January  29, 
1835.  His  parents,  Lambert  and  Zilphia  (Adams) 
Pritchard,  were  Americans,  of  English  descent.  His 
father  was  a  well-to-do*  farmer.  Mr.  B.  D.  Pritchard 
attended  the  Western  Reserve  College,  of  which  Pro¬ 
fessor  Garfield  was  President,  and  also  the  University  of 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  where  he  took  a  full  course  in 
the  law  department.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
March,  i860,  and  immediately  commenced  practice. 
This  he  continued  a  year  and  a  half,  in  copartnership 
with  Hon.  W.  B.  Williams,  ex-Congressman  from  the 
Fifth  District  of  Michigan.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion,  Mr.  Pritchard  put  forth  every  energy,  and 
raised  a  company  of  one  hundred  and  five  men  for 
Michigan  cavalry,  after  which  he  enlisted  as  a  private, 
but  was  immediately  commissioned  Captain.  The  first 
engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  the  battle  of 
Stone  River,  December  23,  1862.  In  the  numerous 
engagements  at  that  place,  he  led  the  4th  Michigan  Cav¬ 
alry.  He  afterwards  participated,  with  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  in  every  engagement  until  that  of  Atlanta. 


lOO 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


In  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  September  19,  1863,  he 
was  wounded  by  a  .shell,  and  was  thus  kept  from  taking 
part  in  the  fight  at  Atlanta.  He  remained  at  the  hos¬ 
pital  only  thirty  days,  however,  when  he  was  put  on 
duty  at  CamjD  Smith,  near  Nashville,  Tennessee,  to  drill 
recruits,  etc.  In  the  spring  of  1863,  he  again  took  com¬ 
mand  of  his  battalion.  After  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  he 
moved  back  to  Rome,  and  from  there  to  Louisville,  with 
the  whole  division,  under  General  Long.  Captain 
Pritchard  was,  at  that  time,  promoted  to  Lieutenant- 
Colonel.  He  remained  at  Louisville  until  January,  1865, 
and  was  then  remounted,  after  which  he  took  command 
of  the  regiment,  and  moved  with  it  to  Gravelly  Spring. 
Shortly  after  arriving  there,  he  commenced  a  twenty-two 
days  march,  with  twelve  thousand  cavalry  troops, 
through  the  enemy’s  country,  and  captured  Selma,  Ala¬ 
bama,  Montgomery,  and  Columbus,  Georgia.  At  this 
point  he  received,  by  telegraph,  imperative  orders  to 
take  two  regiments,  make  forced  matches,  and  capture 
and  hold  what  are  now  known  as  the  “Double  Pridges,” 
over  the  Flint  River;  these  being  the  only  bridges  left 
over  which  the  Federal  Army  could  cross.  The  Confed¬ 
erates  were  already  in  possession  of  this  bridge,  but  were 
waiting  to  get  their  troops  over.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Pritchard,  with  the  4th  Michigan  Cavalry  and  3d  Ohio 
Regiment,  immediately  started  on  the  hazardous  under¬ 
taking;  and,  though  the  w'ay  was  overspread  with  rebels, 
they  accomplished  the  fifty-mile  march  by  the  following 
morning;  surprised  the  enemy,  captured  the  bridge  by  a 
charge,  and  held  it  until  the  Union  Army  arrived  and 
crossed  at  leisure.  He  then  moved  on,  with  the  troops, 
to  Macon,  Georgia,  which  surrendered;  after  which  he 
encamped  there  until  the  7th  of  May,  1865,  when  he 
received  secret  orders  to  intercept  the  Confederate  Presi¬ 
dent,  Jefferson  Davis,  and  other  officers  who  were  fleeing, 
and  were  supposed  to  be  at  or  near  Irwinsville,  the 
county-seat  of  Irwin  County.  This  he  succeeded  in 
doing.  May  10,  1865,  as  Mr.  Davis  was  attempting  to 
cross  the  picket  line  in  woman’s  clothes.  Mr.  Davis’ 
whole  family,  and  the  following  leaders  in  the  Rebellion, 
were  taken  near  by:  Postmaster-General  John  II. 
Reagan ;  Colonel  Lambbuck,  ex-Governor  of  Texas  and 
military  aid  to  Mr.  Davis;  William  Preston  Johnston, 
also  an  aid ;  J.  D.  and  Maggie  Howell,  brother  and  sister 
of  Mrs.  Davis;  and  about  twenty-three  other  persons. 
Three  ambulances  and  a  wagon  train  were  included  in 
the  capture.  Colonel  Pritchard  was  then  detailed  to 
retain  his  prisoners.  Upon  his  arrival  with  them  at 
Maeon,  he  received,  in  addition,  Clement  C.  Clay  and 
his  wife,  supposed  aids  in  the  assassination  of  President 
Lincoln;  and,  at  Augusta,  Alexander  H.  Stephens  and 
CoiiTederate  Major-General  Wheeler  and  staff.  After 
twelve  days,  he  reached  Fortress  Monroe,  where,  by  order 
of  the  War  Department,  he  left  his  prisoners,  taking  a 
receipt  for  their  delivery.  He  was  then  ordered  to 


report,  in  person,  to  Secretary  Stanton,  from  whom  he 
received  the  thanks  of  the  War  Department  and  of  the 
public,  and  was  brevetted  Brigadier-General  of  Volun¬ 
teers.  General  Pritchard’s  official  report,  relative  to  the 
disguise  of  Mr.  Davis  at  the  time  of  his  capture,  was 
accepted,  after  thirty  days.  Pie  then  rejoined  his  com¬ 
mand  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  remained  until 
he  w'as  mustered  from  the  service.  He  immediately 
returned  to  Allegan,  Michigan,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  copartnership  vdth  Judge  Williams  until  the  fall  of 
1868.  In  1866  he  was  elected  Commissioner  of  the 
State  Land  Office,  and  was  re-elected  in  1868,  when 
he  severed  his  partnership  with  Judge  Williams.  In 
1872  he  organized  the  First  National  Bank  of  Allegan, 
and  was  elected  its  President  and  Manager.  He  has 
dealt  largely  in  real  estate  since  his  residence  in  Allegan. 
He  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics,  and  an  active 
worker  for  party  interests,  though  not  an  aspirant  for 
office.  Pie  was  largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  elec¬ 
tion  of  Judge  Williams  to  Congress.  General  Pritchard 
is  an  Odd-P"ellow  of  high  standing,  having  passed  all  the 
chairs.  Pie  is  a  strong  believer  in  Christianity.  He  was 
married,  September  i,  1864,  to  Miss  Mary  B.  Kent,  a 
native  of  Ohio.  They  have  two  children, —  a  son  and  a 
daughter. 


^  ^!pWER’  DOCTOR  HARRISON  PL,  of  Saranac, 
f  Iti  Michigan,  was  born  in  Farmington,  Ontario 
County,  New  York,  April  9,  1827.  He  is  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  Plis  grandfather  was  killed 
in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  His  father,  Arnold  Power, 
was  an  enterprising  farmer  of  New  York  State.  Dr. 
Power  was  one  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children.  While 
a  boy  at  home,  he  rebelled  against  parental  authority, 
and  ran  away  for  two  weeks  to  escape  punishment.  He 
afterwards  passed  three  years  in  school  at  Macedon  Cen¬ 
tre,  and  at  the  academy  in  Canandaigua,  New  York. 
In  the  spring  of  1847,  he  went  to  Rollin,  Lenawee 
County,  Michigan,  and,  as  a  student,  entered  the  office 
of  his  uncle.  Dr.  James  S.  Power.  He  attended  lec¬ 
tures  at  Buffalo  and  Geneva,  where  he  graduated  in 
1850.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Rollin  ;  and,  before  settling  permanently  at  Saranac,  spent 
a  year  in  the  pine  woods,  working  both  as  a  physician 
and  lumberman.  During  that  time,  he  took  out  about 
nine  hundred  thousand  feet  of  lumber,  but  the  agent 
whom  he  employed  absconded  with  the  proceeds,  and 
left  him  eight  hundred  dollars  in  debt.  He  established 
himself  at  Saranac ;  and,  after  seven  years  of  practice, 
paid  this  debt,  and  built  his  present  comfortable  home. 
He  has  now  an  extensive  field  of  labor,  embracing 
nearly  all  Ionia  County,  and  part  of  Kent.  In  the 
spring  of  1864,  he  entered  the  army,  and  was  connected 
with  the  Third  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Ninth  Corps, 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


lOl 


under  General  Burnside,  as  Prescribing  Surgeon  for  the 
field  hospital.  While  occupying  this  position,  he  took 
part  in  the  battles  of  North  Anna,  Bethesda  Church, 
Cold  Harbor,  and  Petersburg.  Pie  was  compelled  by  ill 
health  to  resign,  and  was  then  appointed  Recording 
Surgeon.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  under  Governor 
Blair,  he  became  Surgeon  of  the  new  3d  Michigan 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  accompanied  his  regiment  to 
Alabama,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Decatur 
and  Murfreesboro.  At  the  close  of  the  war.  Dr.  Power 
returned  to  his  professional  duties  at  Saranac.  Pie  is 
now  a  conservative  Republican,  but  was  formerly  a 
Whig,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Zachary  Taylor.  Pie 
married,  October  9,  1850,  Eunice  Kealey,  daughter  of 
Edmund  Kealey,  of  Rollin,  Lenawee  County,  Michigan, 
who  had  emigrated  from  Ireland  a  few  years  previous. 
Mrs.  Power  is  a  lady  of  rare  talents  and  accomplish¬ 
ments,  a  thoughtful  mother,  and  devoted  wife.  P)r. 
Power  has  an  intense  love  for  his  profession,  and  stands 
among  the  first  physicians  of  Michigan.  His  eldest 
daughter  is  the  wife  of  William  L.  Strickland,  of  Ionia, 
the  author  of  “The  Legal  Commercial  Union.” 


- - - 

^U|:0WERS,  HON.  WILLIAM  T.,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
flpli;  was  born  in  the  town  of  Bristol,  Grafton  County, 
'ffpA  New  Hampshire,  on  the  8th  of  July,  1820.  His 
parents,  Jonathan  and  Anna  Powers,  were  natives 
of  the  same  place.  They  removed  to  Lansingburg, 
New  York,  in  1826,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
received  a  common-school  education.  He  served  an 
apprenticeship  of  three  years  at  cabinet-making ;  and, 
going  to  Troy,  New  York,  engaged  in  that  business  on 
his  own  account.  The  competition  being  great,  he 
resolved  to  locate  elsewhere;  and,  in  1847,  I'emoved  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  began,  in  a  small 
way,  with  very  little  capital.  By  patience,  industry, 
and  perseverance,  in  fifteen  years  he  built  up  a  busi¬ 
ness  in  which  he  gave  employment  to  about  fifty  men. 
He  first  introduced  machinery  largely  into  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  furniture  at  Grand  Rapids;  and,  in  1852,  built 
the  first  stationary  circular  saw-mill  in  the  State.  With 
an  intermission  of  but  two  years,  he  has  since  that  date 
continued  to  manufacture  lumber.  In  1866  Mr.  Powers 
purchased  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  water-power  front¬ 
age,  on  the  west  side  of  .Grand  River,  in  the  city  of 
Grand  Rapids;  and,'  in  connection  with  the  water¬ 
power  owners  on  the  east  side,  built  the  dam  now  in 
use.  In  the  following  year,  he  built  a  canal  through  his 
property,  and  thus  became  sole  owner  of  the  west  side 
water-power,  which  has  a  capacity  of  sixty-six  run  of  stone ; 
each  run  being  estimated  equal  to  fifteen-horse  power. 
Since  the  completion  of  this  canal,  he  has  erected  on  its 
banks  a  number  of  buildings  for  manufacturing  pur¬ 


poses,  which  have  been  in  successful  operation  for  some 
years.  Since  coming  to  Grand  Rapids,*  Mr.  Powers  has 
put  up  nearly  thirty  buildings  for  various  purposes, 
most  of  which  w'ere.  finished  in  1873.  Among  them  is 
Powers’  Opera  House,  so-called,  on  Pearl  street,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  by  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet, 
and  four  stories  high.  It  contains  the  largest  public 
hall  in  the  city;  most  conveniently  arranged,  and  capable 
of  seating  nearly  fifteen  hundred  persons.  As  we  have 
intimated,  Mr.  Pow'ers  arrived  at  Grand  Rapids  thirty 
years  ago,  with  very  little  capital;  but,  by  steady  busi¬ 
ness  habits,  and  an  enterprising  spirit,  he  has  gained 
wealth  and  influence  second  to  none  of  his  fellow-citi¬ 
zens.  Thus  is  he  fully  entitled  to  rank  as  one  of  the 
self-made  men  of  the  State  of  his  adoption.  An  active 
politician;  has  never  sought  office,  although  he  has 
been  elected  to  honorable  positions.  In  1857  he  was 
chosen  Mayor,  and  served  one  term.  Since  the  organ¬ 
ization  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works,  he  has,  in  the 
capacity  of  one  of  its  members,  been  actively  engaged  in 
the  interests  of  the  city.  In  1838,  at  Troy,  New  York, 
Mr.  Powers  married  Miss  Louisa  Hall,  a  native  of  Lon¬ 
don,  England,  whose  parents  emigrated  to  America 
when  she  was  a  child.  They  have  had  a  family  of  six 
children,  four  of  wdrom  —  tw'O  sons  and  two  daughters  — 
are  living.  Mr.  Powers  has,  from  boyhood,  sustained  a 
good  moral  character.  He  has  shown  great  enterprise 
in  what  he  has  done,  and  is  doing,  at  Grand  Rapids; 
never  stopping  half  way,  but  pushing  his  plans  to  com¬ 
pletion.  He  always  fills  his  engagements  satisfactorily; 
is  exceedingly  kind  to  those  in  his  employment,  and  is 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  of  his  acquaintances. 

■ - »o« - 


LAND,  CAPTAIN  THOMAS  J.,  of  Muskegon, 
was  born  in  Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  in 
1805.  Before  he  was  eleven  years  old,  both  his 
parents  died,  and  he  was  placed  as  errand  boy  in  a  large 
shipping  house  in  Boston.  He  remained  there  four 
years,  during  which  time  he  laid  the  foundation  of  those 
business  qualifications  which  were  so  useful  during  his 
long  and  busy  life.  When  fifteen  years  old,  having  a 
desire  to  become  acquainted  with  the  sea,  he  shipped  as 
cabin-boy  on  an  East  India  merchantman.  This  life  he 
followed  many  years,  rising,  by  his  faithful  performance 
of  duty,  to  higher  positions.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five, 
by  virtue  of  some  speculations  which  he  was  permitted 
to  make,  he  became  commander  and  part  owner  of  a 
fine  vessel  of  one  thousand  tons,  trading  between  Bos¬ 
ton  and  all  parts  of  the  world.  Its  special  trade,  how¬ 
ever,  was  with  the  East  Indies.  Most  of  the  time, 
owing  to  his  knowledge  and  strict  business  habits,  he 
was  supercargo  of  the  vessel.  He  visited  nearly  every 
place  on  the  globe,  and  obtained  much  useful  informa- 


102 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


tion,  which  made  him  a  very  interesting  companion. 
When  about  thirty-seven  years  old,  he  left  the  sea  and 
formed  a  business  connection  in  New  York  City.  This 
proved  unfortunate;  and,  in  1845,  removed  with  his 
family  to  a  farm  near  Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  The  retired 
life  of  a  farmer  was  not  suited  to  him ;  he  soon  became 
dissatisfied ;  and,  in  1854,  he  removed  to  Muskegon, 
Michigan,  where,  for  several  years,  he  was  actively  en¬ 
gaged  in  business  for  C.  Davis  &  Co.  In  1857  he  under¬ 
took  the  management  of  the  large  real  estate  interests 
of  Judge  Newell.  He  became  largely  identified  with 
the  interests  of  the  town  of  Muskegon,  and  lived  to  see 
it  become  a  city  of  nearly  ten  thousand  inhabitants. 
During  this  time,  he  made  many  warm  friends  who  still 
cherish  his  memory.  About  the  year  1859,  he  opened  a 
bank,  which,  for  many  years,  was  the  only  one  in  Mus¬ 
kegon.  In  1864,  the  business  had  so  increased  that  he 
gave  it  his  whole  attention,  establishing  an  Exchange 
Bank  with  more  extended  facilities.  In  1863,  or  1864, 
he  was  elected  County  Treasurer.  Mr.  Rand’s  am¬ 
bition  was  to  live  so  that,  after  death,  all  men  could 
say  with  truth,  “here  rests  an  honest  man.”  He  was 
married,  in  1831,  to  Sarah  Glover,  of  Beverly,  Massa¬ 
chusetts.  He  died,  December  17,  1872.  His  friends, 
mindful  of  his  wishes,  have  marked  his  grave  with  a 
tablet  bearing  his  chosen  inscription.  Mr.  Rand’s 
death  had  such  an  effect  upon  the  business  of  the  place, 
that  it  became  necessary  for  those  men  who  had  long 
patronized  him  to  establish  a  National  Bank.  Ilis 
banking  house  and  lots,  with  the  furniture  and  fixtures, 
were  purchased  of  his  administrator,  and  the  Lumber¬ 
men’s  National  Bank  was  established,  February  5,  1873. 


J Reivers,  rev.  EIENRY,  late  of  Muskegon, 
^  was  born  in  Grubenvorst,  Limburg,  Holland, 
November  12,  1822.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  college  of  Wardt.  While  a  student,  he  was 
drafted  into  the  army,  and  served  the  term  required  by 
law.  He  then  returned  to  Wardt,  concluded  his  studies, 
and  was  ordained  priest,  August  24,  1851.  Immediately 
after  his  ordination,  he  came  to  America  as  Priest  of 
Foreign  Missions;  he  offered  his  services  to  Bishop 
Le  Fevre,  of  Detroit,  who  put  him  in  charge  of  the 
Mission  of  Vienna,  in  Michigan.  He  was  afterwards 
transferred  to  Monroe,  where  he  remained  two  years. 
In  1858  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Patrick,  in  Grattan,  Kent  County,  and  remained  there 
until  July,  1866.  In  that  year,  he  became  pastor  of  St. 
Mary’s  Church,  in  Muskegon,  and  retained  the  position 
for  ten  years,  zealously  discharging  his  duties.  He 
died,  February  5,  1877,  aged  fifty-four  years  and  three 
months.  The  obsequies,  from  the  church  to  the  ceme¬ 
tery,  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Jacob  Hetz.  A  solemn 


requiem  mass  was  sung  by  Bishop  Borgen,  of  Detroit, 
as  celebrant;  Rev.  Father  Puloker,  of  Detroit,  as  dea¬ 
con;  and  Rev.  Father  Murphy,  of  Grand  Haven,  as 
sub-deacon,  assisted  by  fifteen  or  twenty  priests  from 
different  States.  The  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by 
Father  Limpins,  of  Grand  Rapids.  Father  Reivers 
was  a  whole-souled  man,  of  fine  attainments,  but  of  a 
diffident  nature.  He  was  courteous  and  hospitable  to 
all  men,  irrespective  of  their  belief.  Pie  was  greatly 
beloved  in  his  church,  and  respected  by  the  entire  com¬ 
munity. 

- ♦o*  ■■ 

"^[ftANDALL,  LEONARD  IE,  Banker,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Genesee  County, 
New  York,  November  i,  1829.  His  parents, 
Elias  and  Sally  (Winslow)  Randall,  were  born  in  Wind¬ 
sor  County,  Vermont.  Mr.  Randall’s  early  education 
was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Genesee  County. 
In  1843  father  removed  with  the  family  to  Genesee 
County,  Michigan,  and  there,  for  five  years,  the  son 
attended  school  in  u'inter,  and  worked  on  the  farm  in 
summer.  In  1844  the  sudden  death  of  his  father  left 
Mr.  Randall,  then  but  fifteen  years  old,  the  principal 
support  of  his  step-mother  and  four  young  children.  In 
1848  his  step-mother  again  married ;  and  he,  feeling  the 
necessity  of  a  higher  education  than  that  then  afforded 
by  the  schools  near  his  home,  left  Michigan,  and  re¬ 
turned  to  New  York,  where  he  attended  school  for  some 
months.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  he  went  to  Hamilton, 
Canada,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general  mercantile 
store,  where  he  continued  four  years.  During  thos^ 
years,  he  acquired  an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  busi¬ 
ness,  and  prudently  saved  the  greater  part  of  his  salary. 
In  1853,  at  vSt.  George,  in  the  Province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  he  went  into  the  general  mercantile  business 
on  his  own  account.  In  1857  he  decided  to  make  a 
change;  and,  selling  out  his  stock,  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan.  There  he  at  once  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  and  retail  grocery  business,  in  which  he  con¬ 
tinued  until  1865.  In  that  year,  he  decided  to  confine 
his  operations  to  the  wholesale  department,  and  estab¬ 
lished  the  first  exclusively  wholesale  grocery  of  Grand 
Rapids.  The  annual  sales  of  the  house  amounted  to 
more  than  half  a  million  dollars.  He  continued  in  this 
business  until  1875,  then  withdrew  in  favor  of 

Freeman,  Hawkins  &  Co.,  young  men  who  had  long 
been  employed  by  him.  He  retained  but  a  special 
partnership,  and  devoted  his  time  to  banking.  At  its 
organization,  Mr.  Randall  identified  himself  with  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Grand  Rapids;  he  was  one  of  its 
Directors  and  a  large  stockholder.  On  the  ist  of 
January,  1874,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Darragh,  he  estab¬ 
lished,  under  the  firm  name  of  Randall  &  Darragh,  a 
private  bank  of  discount  and  deposit,  to  which  he  has 


^iyEBSall  jf  Son  %JlBan;lay  E y 


.1 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


103 


since  given  most  of  his  attention.  In  addition,  how¬ 
ever,  to  the  pursuits  mentioned,  Mr.  Randall  has  been 
interested,  during  the  past  ten  years,  in  the  organization 
and  continuance  of  a  number  of  manufacturing  enter¬ 
prises,  and  also  in  the  several  lines  of  railway  passing 
through  Grand  Rapids.  He  is  an  adherent  of  the  Dem¬ 
ocratic  party,  and,  in  1871,  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
city.  In  1875  he  was  elected  City  Treasurer,  and  was 
re-elected  in  1876  and  1877.  On  the  8th  of  January, 
1856,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Jane  Byrne,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Byrne,  of  Ontario,  Canada.  Mr.  Randall  repre¬ 
sents  that  type  known  as  “the  self-made  man.”  As  we 
have  seen,  he  was  early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources; 
but,  depending  upon  his  individual  exertions,  he  has 
overcome  all  difficulties.  To-day,  while  yet  in  the  prime 
of  life,  he  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  the  solid  busi¬ 
ness  men  of  his  community.  He  is  a  man  of  untiring 
energy,  keen  foresight,  sound  judgment,  and  strict  integ¬ 
rity.  His  charities  are  large,  well  directed,  and  given 
without  ostentation.  In  his  social  relations,  he  is  kind- 
hearted,  genial,  and  amiable,  yet  decided  in  the  expres¬ 
sion  of  his  oiDinions.  He  makes  friends  readily,  and 
by  his  manly  demeanor  retains  them.  Pie  is  highly 
esteemed  by  the  community. 

- K>» - 

^[i^jlCPI,  HON.  HAMPTON,  of  Ionia,  Michigan, 
born  at  Sharon,  Addison  County,  Vermont, 
December  i,  1815,  and  was  the  son  of  Samuel 
and  Mary  (Bailey)  Rich,  both  natives  of  Vermont.  His 
father  was  a  member  of  a  family  still  prominent  in  that 
part  of  the  country;  one  of  his  brothers,  Charles  Rich, 
having  represented  Vermont  in  Congress,  from  1820  to 

1824.  Mr.  Hampton  Rich  was  named  for  General  Wade 
Hampton,  under  whom  his  father  fought  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  for  whom  he  cherished  an  ardent  admiration. 
Mr.  Rich’s  parents  removed,  during  his  childhood,  from 
Vermont  to  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  and  after¬ 
wards,  to  Prescott,  Canada.  Here  his  father  died  in 

1825,  leaving  the  support  of  the  family  to  the  devoted 
wife  and  mother,  who  lived  until  February,  1856.  Hamp¬ 
ton  Rich  received  a  common-school  education  at  Prescott, 
after  which  he  attended,  for  a  short  time,  an  academy  at 
Ogdensburg,  New  York.  His  father’s  death  having  left 
the  family  in  poor  circumstances,  he  was  early  obliged 
to  leave  school  and  obtain  some  lucrative  employment. 
The  first  position  he  obtained  was  that  of  clerk  in  a  dry- 
goods  store.  He  evinced  such  an  aptitude  for  business 
that,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  was  entrusted  with  the 
sole  charge  of  the  large  mercantile  establishment  of 
Averill  &  Hooker,  at  Kemptville,  near  Prescott,,  and  re¬ 
tained  the  position  for  over  two  years.  Then,  at  the 
solicitation  of  Mr.  Warner,  who  had  opened  a  general 
store  at  Ionia,  Michigan,  he  left  Canada  to  engage  in 
his  employment.  '  He  entered  Ionia  on  foot  and  alone, — 


the  horse,  which  he  had  intended  to  ride  from  Detroit, 
having  given  out  on  the  journey, —  and  at  once  applied 
himself  to  his  business.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Warner 
about  three  years.  In  1846  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Edward 
Stevenson,  in  the  boot,  shoe,  and  clothing  business,  and 
continued  with  him  until  1853.  From  that  time  until 
1875,  dealt  in  general  merchandise.  He  then  retired 
from  business.  Almost  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  at 
Ionia,  Mr.  Rich’s  history  has  been  interwoven  with  that 
of  the  town  and  county.  Noted  as  a  successful  business 
man,  he  was  no  less  marked  as  a  public-spirited  citizen, 
and  was  early  called  upon  by  the  people  to  serve  in  public 
life.  As  early  as  1838,  he  was  elected  Town  Clerk,  and 
held  the  office  several  years.  For  six  years  he  was  Jus¬ 
tice  of  the  Peace,  part  of  the  time  combining  the  office 
with  that  of  Town  Clerk.  In  1841  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk,  and  was  honored  by  a  re-election  in  1846. 
He  also  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  for  two  years.  In 
1864  Mr.  Rich  took  an  active  part  in  the  movement  to 
build  a  railroad  from  Ionia  to  Lansing.  The  necessary 
legislation  not  having  been  secured,  Mr.  Rich,  against 
his  earnest  protestations,  was  elected  to  the  Senate  in  1866 
and  again  in  1868;  he  finally  succeeded  in  securing  the 
passage  of  the  act  authorizing  the  construction  of  the  road. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  Ionia  and  Lansing  Rail¬ 
road  Company,  he  became  its  first  President,  and  re¬ 
tained  that  position  for  some  time,  performing  the  double 
duties  of  President  and  Treasurer,  until  its  consolidation 
with  the  Detroit,  Lansing  and  Northern  Railroad.  When 
Mr.  Rich  first  went  to  Ionia,  the  town  consisted  of  very 
few  buildings,  of  which  the  land  office  was  the  nucleus  ; 
in  every  movement  to  promote  its  growth,  he  bore  a 
prominent  part,  eontributing  freely  of  his  time  and 
money.  Pie  has  been  particularly  active  in  school  mat¬ 
ters ;  and,  both  as  a  private  citizen  and  in  his  official 
capacity  on  the  School  Board,  has  exerted  himself  to 
the  utmost  to  secure  the  best  educational  interests. 
After  taking  an  important  part  in  negotiating  for 
the  construction  of  a  school-house,  he  personally  super¬ 
intended  its  erection ;  it  now  crowns  the  hill,  and  is  an 
acknowledged  ornament  to  the  town.  Among  other 
matters  of  public  interest,  with  which  Mr.  Rich’s  name 
is  prominently  identified,  may  be  mentioned  the  location 
in  Ionia  of  the  railroad  shops  of  the  Detroit,  Lansing 
and  Northern  Railroad;  also  the  successful  efforts  made 
towards  having  the  prison  located  in  Ionia.  This  build¬ 
ing  was  under  Mr.  Rich’s  supervision,  and  the  universal 
testimony  is  that,  in  stability  of  workmanship,  and  cheap¬ 
ness  of  execution,  it  surpasses  any  thing  of  the  kind  in 
the  State.  The  citizens  of  Ionia  regard  this  structure 
with  a  very  pardonable  pride.  Mr.  Rich  is  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  House  of  Correction. 
He  is- not  a  member  of  any  secret  society.  He  is  con¬ 
nected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  has 
been  Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  School  for  twenty- 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


104 

seven  years.  He  was  actively  interested,  and  assisted 
materially,  in  the  erection  of  the  beautiful  and  costly 
church  building  in  which  his  denomination  worship. 
He  originated  the  greater  part  of  the  plans,  and  per¬ 
sonally  supervised  the  erection  of  the  building.  He 
married,  November  12,  1840,  on  her  nineteenth  birth¬ 
day,  Jessie  M.  Stevenson,  whose  lovely  character  won 
the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  her.  She  died  July  14, 
i860,  leaving  four  children,  who  are  still  living.  Mr. 
Rich  was  married  again,  in  August,  1862,  to  Charlotte 
Dygert,  of  Utica,  New  York.  She  is  still  living',  and 
has  a  family  of  three  children.  Mr.  Rich  is  of  fine  per¬ 
sonal  appearance,  and  is  universally  esteemed  in  the  com¬ 
munity  in  which  he  is  so  active  and  efficient. 


8dCHMOND,  WILLIAM  ALMY,  of  Grand  Rap- 
:  ids,  Michigan,  was  born  in  the  beautiful  village 

o . V '<;>'»  of  Aurora,  on  Cayuga  Lake,  January  28,  1808. 

The  previous  year  his  parents,  Jonathan  and  Rebecca 
Richmond,  performed  the  long  journey  from  Westport, 
Massachusetts,  to  Aurora,  New  York,  through  the  wil¬ 
derness,  on  horseback.  They  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  Cayuga  County,  and,  from  the  home  there 
established,  sent  forth,  during  a  period  of  fifty  years,  a 
large  family  to  assist  in  settling  different  portions  of  the 
Great  West.  The  eldest  son  gave  thirty-five  years  to 
Michigan;  two  of  his  children  have  pressed,  in  their 
turn,  to  the  frontier,  and  have  identified  themselves,  for 
ten  years  past,  with  the  promising  State  of  Kansas. 
Mr.  Richmond  was  educatetl  at  the  Cayuga  Academy,— 
an  institution  which,  at  that  time,  numbered  among  its 
faculty  the  honored  Salem  Town,  of  “speller  and  de- 
finer”  notoriety.  During  his  leisure  hours,  Mr.  Rich¬ 
mond  was  employed  in  labor  on  his  father’s  farm.  His 
ambitious  thoughts  were  constantly  wandering  to  the 
great  world  outside  the  quiet  village;  and,  after  leaving 
school,  he  spent  two  years  as  clerk  in  the  employment 
of  Henry  Howard,  of  Geneseo,  subsequently  first  State 
Treasurer  of  Michigan.  In  1828  Mr.  Richmond,  then 
a  young  man  of  twenty,  led  by  attractive  reports  from 
the  “Peninsular  Territory,”  joined  an  exploring  party, 
and  penetrated  the  wilderness  as  far  as  the  village  of 
Pontiac.  On  his  return  East,  two  years  were  passed  as 
clerk  in  a  silk  house  on  Pearl  street.  New  York  City; 
he  then  engaged  two  years  in  mercantile  business  for 
himself.  In  1834  he  again  went  to  Michigan,  with  the 
intention  of  making  it  his  home;  but,  after  suffering 
from  cholera  and  fever,  he  decided  to  leave  the  State. 
In  1836,  in  company  with  Mr.  Philander  Tracy,  whose 
lilc  also  became  identified  with  Michigan,  Mr.  Richmond 
made  another  effort  toward  a  residence  in  that  Terri¬ 
tory.  I'he  already  far-famed  Grand  River  Valley  was 
their  objective  point.  They  arrived  at  Grand  Rajjids,  a 


stirring  little  Indian  trading-post  of  about  two  hundred 
inhabitants ;  were  favorably  impressed,  and  decided  to 
travel  no  farther.  Grand  Rapids  now,  in  1878,  is  the 
most  energetic  and  progressive  place  in  the  State,  and 
ranks  next  to  Detroit  in  size.  Messrs.  Charles  11.  Car- 
roll,  Lucius  Lyon,  John  Almy,  and  Mr.  Richmond  im¬ 
mediately  purchased  the  so-called  “Kent  Plat.”  In  the 
same  year,  1836,  Mr.  Richmond  was  elected  to  the  Con¬ 
vention  assembled  at  Ann  Arbor,  by  proclamation  of 
Governor  Mason,  for  the  purpose  of  converting  the  Ter¬ 
ritory  into  a  State.  From  that  time  he  was  identified 
with  the  leading  interests  of  Grand  Rapids  and  the  State 
at  large.  In  1838  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Van 
Buren,  Receiver  of  the  Ionia  Land  District.  From  1842 
Jo  1845  served  ably  in  the  State  Senate,  and  was  in¬ 
strumental  in  the  passing  of  the  bill  appropriating  six 
thousand  acres  of  land  for  the  construction  of  the  first 
bridge  across  the  Grand  River,  at  Grand  Rapids.  In 
1845  position  of  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs 
was  conferred  on  him  by  President  Polk.  In  1851  he 
was  candidate  for  Lieutenant-Governor  on  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  ticket  with  Governor  Barry.  He  held  two  com¬ 
missions  as  Brigadier-General  of  State  militia.  He  was, 
for  some  years,  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Michigan 
Southern  Railroad,  and  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
extension  of  railroads  in  the  State.  His  religious  creed 
made  him  an  active  churchman.  He  was  a  man  of  fine 
business  talent, —  of  enterprise  steadied  by  caution. 
He  filled  with  acknowledged  ability  the  several  public 
offices  to  which  he  was  called;  and  was  remarkable  for 
his  clear  intellect  and  sound  judgment.  Such  a  man 
must  necessarily  be  intimately  associated  with  the  growth 
and  prosperity  of  his  State;  and  Mr.  Richmond's  name 
is  enrolled  among  Michigan’s  honored  pioneers.  He 
married,  in  November,  1837,  Loraine  Z.  Page,  daughter 
of  Abel  Page,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Grand  Rapids. 
They  had  three  children.  He  died  at  Grand  Rapids,  in 
the  summer  of  1870,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two. 


Reynolds,  J.  N.,  M.  D.,  Homeopathic  Physi- 
cian  and  Surgeon,  of  Grand  Haven,  Michigan, 
was  born  in  Porter  County,  Indiana,  August  24, 


1844.  His  father,  Justus  Reynolds,  was  a  prominent 
farmer  and  stock-raiser.  When  about  eight  years  of  age, 
Mr.  Reynolds  removed,  with  his  parents,  to  Ingersoll, 
Canada,  where  he  received  a  thorough  classical  educa¬ 
tion,  and  determined  to  study  medicine.  At  the  age 
of  twenty,  he  entered,  as  a  student,  the  office  of  Dr.  W. 
Springer,  a  prominent  homeopathic  physician  of  Inger¬ 
soll,  with  whom  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  entered 
the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  where  he 
made  rapid  progress.  After  six  months,  he  returned  to 
Ingersoll,  and  spent  a  second  year  with  Mr.  Springer. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


In  November,  1866,  he  removed  to  St.  Louis,  and 
entered  the  Missouri  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1867.  He  practiced 
six  months  in  Baltimore,  Michigan,  and  then  removed  to 
St.  Clair,  where  he  remained  one  year,  in  partnership 
with  Dr.  G.  Palmer.  In  November,  1869,  he  removed 
to  Grand  Haven,  where  he  still  resides.  Although 
young.  Doctor  Reynolds  has  acquired  a  very  lucrative 
practice,  and  ranks  among  the  best  physicians  in  the 
State.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views.  He  be¬ 
longs  to  the  Masonic  Fraternity.  He  has  always  been  a 
Democrat.  In  September,  1869,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Florence  E.  Keeler,  eldest  daughter  of  Captain  S.  C. 
Keeler,  formerly  of  Detroit.  Captain  Keeler  was  for¬ 
merly  a  prominent  steamboat  proprietor,  and  invented 
the  plan  of  building  steam-tugs  with  elevated  cabins ; 
he  now  resides  in  South  America.  Doctor  Reynolds  has 
had  four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living. 

- - 


^)OBINSON,  JAMES  D.,  Manufacturer  and  Lum¬ 
ber  Merchant,  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in  Bel- 
fast,  Ireland,  April  17,  1822.  He  is  the  son  of 
David  and  Mary  Robinson,  who  emigrated  to  America, 
in  1822,  and  settled  in  Bateman,  New  York.  When 
James  was  six  years  of  age,  his  mother  died,  and  he  was 
sent  to  live  with  an  uncle.  Four  years  later,  his  father 
having  married  again,  he  removed  with  the  family  to 
Richland,  Oswego  County,  New  York.  In  the  fall  of 
1836,  the  family  started  for  the  West,  going  by  boat 
from  Oswego  to  Rochester;  and  thence,  by  canal-boat, 
to  Buffalo,  where  they  took  the  steamer  “North  Amer¬ 
ica”  for  Detroit,  Michigan.  They  then  went  across  the 
country  to  Marshall.  After  remaining  here  for  six  years, 
engaged  in  farming  and  brick-making,  James  learned  the 
mason  trade  with  a  brother-in-law.  In  1843  he  arranged 
with  Mr.  Harris,  a  jobber  of  mason  work,  to  go  to  Grand 
Rapids  with  six  other  men,  to  build  a  stone  mill  for 
Messrs.  Lawrence  and  Squire.  Being  satisfied  with  the 
place,  he  concluded  to  remain,  and  purchased  a  village 
lot,  for  which  he  paid  five  dollars  cash,  promising  to  pay 
forty-five  dollars  in  mason  work.  In  1848  Mr.  Robinson 
built  the  third  brick  house  in  Grand -Rapids ;  it  stands 
on  the  corner  of  Scribner  and  Second  streets,  and  is  still 
in  his  possession.  In  March,  1850,  he  started  for  Cali¬ 
fornia  with  a  party  of  seventeen  persons.  They  made 
the  journey  overland,  and  suffered  the  usual  hardships; 
paying,  at  one  time,  two  dollars  per  pound  for  flour. 
Mr.  Robinson  killed  the  first  buffalo,  just  after  they  left 
Fort  Kearney.  The  party  arrived  in  Sacramento  City 
on  the  1st  day  of  August,  five  months  after  leaving 
Grand  Rapids.  They  at  once  sold  their  animals  and 
divided  the  money,  purchasing  provisions  and  mining 
09 


'05 

tools.  Mr.  Robinson  first  went  to  Bid  well’s  Bar;  but, 
failing  to  get  work,  he  left  for  Rich  Bar,  on  the  east 
branch  of  the  north  fork  of  Feather  River.  He  began 
work,  and  made  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  dollars  per 
day  until  March,  when  he  was  badly  disabled  by  the 
caving  in  of  an  embankment.  He  started  for  home  in 
June;  stopped  at  San  Francisco,  and  took  passage  on  a 
steamer  to  Panama,  and  thence  to  New  York;  arriving 
in  Michigan  after  an  absence  of  fifteen  months.  In 
1861  he  enlisted  in  the  1st  Regiment  of  Michigan  En¬ 
gineers  and  Mechanics.  He  soon  after  became  Captain 
of  Company  C,  in  which  he  served  four  years,  reporting 
for  duty  every  day.  He  took  part  in  several  important 
conflicts,  among  which  were  the  siege  of  Corinth,  cap¬ 
ture  of  Bowling  Green,  and  the  battles  of  Mill  Springs, 
Perry ville,  LaVergne,  Mission  Ridge,  and  Lookout  Moun¬ 
tain.  He  was  with  General  Sherman  on  his  famous 
march  to  the  sea,  arriving  in  Savannah  on  the  23d  of 
December,  186.4.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  engaged 
in  the  manufacturing  business  in  Grand  Rapids.  In  1869 
he  was  burned  out,  and  lost  seventeen  thousand  dollars 
by  the  fire.  He  at  once  rebuilt  his  property,  and  now 
owns  one  of  the  large  manufacturing  establishments  for 
which  the  city  is  noted.  Mr.  Robinson  is  one  of  the 
original  members  of  the  first  fire  company  of  Grand 
Rapids,  and  served  as  a  volunteer  fireman  for  twenty- 
two  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Grand  Rapids 
Artillery  for  five  years.  In  January,  1853,  he  married 
Miss  Almeria  Church,  of  Marshall,  Michigan.  They 
have  three  daughters.  As  a  business  man,  Mr.  Robin¬ 
son  is  in  the  front  rank;  as  a  citizen,  he  is  highly 
respected  for  his  strict  integrity  and  intelligent  counsel. 

- - -Cx - 

*^|f^{;OOF,  HON.  ADAM  L.,  of  Lyons,  Ionia  County, 
was  born  at  Canajoharie,  Montgomery  County, 
New  York,  February  22,  1810.  His  grandfather, 
Johannes  Roof,  was  a  Captain  under  General  Herkimer; 
his  uncle,  John  Roof,  was  Colonel  under  the  same 
commander,  and  fought  with  courage  in  the  battle  of 
Oriskany,  near  Fort  Stanwix.  (See  Stone's  History  of  the 
Campaign  of  General  Biirgoyne  and  Colo?iel  Bai'ry  St. 
Leger,  pages  166,  196,  and  197.)  The  maternal  grand¬ 
father  of  Judge  Roof,  Philip  Van  Alstine,  was  an  ardent 
patriot  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  His  father  built 
Fort  Van  Renssalaer,  on  the  east  bank  of  Canajoharie 
Creek,  where  it  may  still  be  seen,  having  been  little 
injured  by  the  ravages  of  time.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Legislature  in  1798.  In  1828  Judge  Roof 
entered  Williams  College,  where  he  remained  two  years. 
He  then  went  to  Hamilton  College,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1832.  The  following  year,  he  was  appointed 
Division  Quartermaster,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  on  Major-General  Schemerhorn’s  staff,  by  Hon. 


io6 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


William  L.  Marcy,  then  Governor  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  Pie  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  August,  1836.  In 
the  same  month,  he  left  his  native  residence,  in  com¬ 
pany  with  his  friend,  A.  F.  Bell,  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
the  West.  They  reached  the  city  of  Monroe,  Michigan, 
and  were  advised  to  go  to  Ionia,  where  the  General 
Government  had  established  a  land  office,  which  was 
about  to  be  opened  for  the  sale  of  public  lands.  On 
the  28th  of  August,  they  arrived  at  Jackson,  then  a 
village  of  about  fifty  inhabitants.  Plere  they  ascer¬ 
tained,  much  to  their  disappointment,  that  there  were 
no  roads  leading  to  the  interior, —  the  land  between  there 
and  Ionia,  a  distance  of  eighty  miles,  being  an  unbroken 
wilderness.  They  had  a  boat  built,  and,  on  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  1st  of  September,  launched  it  at  the  junction 
of  Portage  and  Grand  rivers,  and  continued  their  jour¬ 
ney.  Three  days  after,  they  camped  on  the  west  bank 
of  Grand  River,  on  section  sixteen,  where  the  city  of 
Lansing  now  stands.  After  suffering  many  perils  and 
hardships,  they  reached  Portland,  which  then  contained, 
in  all,  four  log  houses.  Here,  after  singing  the  Te  Deum 
for  their  safe  deliverance,  they  rested  during  the  night. 
The  next  day,  they  proceeded  to  Lyons,  a  little  village 
of  three  log  houses.  This  place  was  so  inviting,  its 
surroundings  so  beautiful,  and  its  future  prospects  so 
encouraging,  that  they  concluded  to  make  it  their  future 
home.  They  suffered,  however,  many  privations  of 
pioneer  life,  being  at  one  time  ten  weeks  without  bread. 
During  the  fall  of  1836,  Michigan  was  made  a  State. 
The  county  of  Ionia,  at  that  time,  contained  about  four 
hundred  inhabitants,  widely  scattered  over  a  large  area, 
and  little  employment  was  to  be  had.  Judge  Roof  and 
Mr.  Bell  spent  the  first  two  years  of  their  residence  in 
the  county  in  laying  out  cities,  making  State  roads  and 
public  highways,  and  in  private  surveys.  In  1838  the 
county  of  Ionia  was  organized,  and  Judge  Roof  was 
elected  the  first  Register  of  Deeds.  In  October  of  that 
year,  he  married  Clarissa,  eldest  daughter  of  John  Knox. 
Mr.  Knox  was  a  distant  relative  of  Henry  Knox,  a  General 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was  a  direct  descendant 
of  John  Knox,  the  Scotch  reformer.  In  1840  Mr. 
Roof  was  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney  by  Governor 
Barry.  In  1842  he  was  elected  Representative  to  the  State 
Legislature  by  a  large  Democratic  majority,  although 
the  district,  which  was  composed  of  the  counties  of 
Kent,  Ottawa,  Ionia,  and  Clinton,  had  been  for  many 
years  represented  by  the  Whigs.  As  the  farmers  of  the 
upper  counties  had  no  means  of  shipping  their  produce, 
they  were  desirous  to  obtain  an  appropriation  of  public 
land  sufficient  to  construct  a  canal  around  Grand  Rapids, 
which  would  enable  them  to  obtain  cheap  transportation 
by  the  river  and  upper  lakes.  The  people  of  the  south¬ 
ern  part  of  the  State  were  working  for  the  construction 
and  extension  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad;  and. 


as  they  wanted  all  the  public  lands,  vigorously  opposed 
every  effort  to  obtain  grants  elsewhere  in  the  State. 
Through  the  influence  of  Judge  Roof,  however,  they 
were  defeated,  and  a  large  appropriation  of  land  was 
obtained  for  the  canal  and  the  northern  railroad.  In 
1848  Judge  Roof  was  elected  State  Senator  against  the 
combined  opposition  of  the  Free-Soil  and  Whig  parties. 
The  interest  in  politics  ran  high  that  year,  and  his 
election  was  hotly  contested.  In  1852  he  was  made 
Judge  of  Probate  for  a  term  of  four  years.  Entering 
upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  he  found  that  the  records 
of  the  court  had  not  been  fully  kept;  that  the  papers  , 
of  the  office  were  in  a  state  of  confusion,  and  that  the 
cases  were  without  proper  forms,  and  some  without 
precedents.  In  a  short  time,  he  reduced  all  to  order. 

He  remodeled  the  old  forms  and  adopted  new  ones,  all 
of  which  have  since  been  ratified  by  his  successors.  In 
1859,  having  been  in  poor  health  for  many  years,  he 
retired  from  the  practice  of  law,  and  gave  his  attention 
to  farming,  w'hich  occupation  he  has  since  continued. 
During  the  late  Rebellion,  he  was  a  War  Democrat. 

He  made  many  speeches  on  the  war,  and  inspired  the 
people  to  such  an  extent  that  they  contributed  their 
money  freely,  and  no  draft  was  found  necessary  in  the  , 
township  of  Lyons.  Judge  Roof  has  always  taken 
pleasure  in  stating  the  fact  that  every  requisition  of  the 
General  Government  upon  Lyons  was  promptly  filled  by 
volunteers.  Judge  Roof  is  slightly  under  medium  size, 
and  is  well  formed.  He  has  dark  eyes,  plentiful  brown 
hair,  a  high  forehead,  and  regular  features.  His  move¬ 
ments  are  deliberate  and.  dignified.  Pie  has  a  good 
constitution,  and  his  habits  have  always  been  regular. 

He  is,  therefore,  both  in  body  and  mind,  a  well  pre¬ 
served  man.  He  is  a  ripe  scholar,  possessing  a  classical 
taste.  His  language  is  unusually  correct  and  chaste, 
and  his  reasoning  logical.  He  is  an  excellent  conversa¬ 
tionist.  Clear  in  his  statements,  ready  in  illustrations, 
candid,  and  earnest,  he  is  an  eloquent  and  effective 
speaker.  His  counsel  always  commanded  respect  among 
the  members  of  his  profession ;  and,  but  for  his  undue 
modesty,  he  might  have  ri.sen  to  marked  distinction. 

As  it  was,  during  the  period  of  his  active  practice,  he 
stood  second  to  no  lawyer  in  his  county.  He  is  the 
first  and  oldest  lawyer  who  settled  permanently  in  Ionia 
County,  and  is  highly  esteemed.  The  following  per¬ 
sons,  among  others,  studied  law  in  his  office,  and  from 
it  were  admitted  to  the  bar :  A.  F.  Bell,  H.  Bartow, 

J.  Toan,  J.  C.  Blanchard,  and  his  son,  A.  K.  Roof.  As 
a  public  officer.  Judge  Roof  was  ever  at  his  post,  cor¬ 
rect,  and  incorruptible.  In  business,  he  has  always 
been  industrious  and  reliable,  and  now  enjoys  the  results 
of  his  labor.  He  is  a  firm  friend,  whose  advice  and 
criticism  are  of  rare  value.  In  every  public  enterprise, 
he  has  taken  a  deep  interest;  while  the  causes  of  edu¬ 
cation,  temperance,  morality,  and  religion  have  received 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICPIIGAN. 


107 


from  him  substantial  aid.  His  opinions  are  formed  after 
much  thought,  and  adhered  to  accordingly.  His  suc¬ 
cess  in  life  is  but  the  natural  outgrowth  of  integrity, 
industry,  and  economy  governed  by  intelligence,  and  is 
well  worthy  of  imitation. 

- - 

^^f^'OSE,  DAVID  ELIJAH,  Manufacturer,  Grand 
^jr|T|  Haven,  Michigan,  is  the  son  of  Elijah  and  Pa- 
mela  (Newcomb)  Rose,  and  was  born  in  Penfield, 
New  York,  July,  31,  1838.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  in  the  Penfield  Academy.  He  afterwards  studied 
medicine,  but,  owing  to  the  illness  of  his  father,  gave  up 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  went  to  work  on  a 
farm  in  1855.  In  the  spring  of  1861,  he  removed  to 
Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  and  became  ticket  agent  in 
the  office  of  the  Dayton  and  Michigan  Railroad  Company. 
Subsequently,  he  spent  four  years  as  teller  in  the  bank 
of  Terry  &  Son.  December  12,  1869,  he  entered  upon  the 
lumber  business,,  in  which  he  has  since  been  engaged. 
Mr.  Rose  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  April,  1865, 
and  held  the  office  two  terms.  He  was  elected  Supervi¬ 
sor  in  1872,  and  Alderman  in  1875.  became  General 
Manager  of  the  Merchants’  Union  Express,  and  estab¬ 
lished  every  intermediate  station  from  Grand  Rapids  to 
Milwaukee;  he  also  established  Fargo’s  Express  from 
St.  Joseph  to  Manistee.  In  1871  he  visited  Scotland.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Odd-Fellows,  and  of  the 
Masonic  Fraternity.  His  political  views  are  Democratic. 
October  i,  1863,  he  was  married  to  Martha  Jane  Saxton, 
daughter  of  Hon.  J.  A.  Saxton,  of  Deerfield,  Massachu¬ 
setts.  Mr.  Rose  is  an  active  member  of  the  First  Presby¬ 
terian  Church,  of  Grand  Haven.  In  his  business 
relations,  he  is  exact  and  reliable.  He  is  eminently 
social  in  his  disposition,  and  is  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him, 

•  - Kx - 

SAVIDGE,  HON.  PIUNTER,  Lumber  Manufac¬ 
turer  and  Capitalist,  Spring  Lake,  Michigan,  is  the 
son  of  Benjamin  and  Esther  (Hunter)  Savidge,  and 
was  born  in  Columbia  County,  Pennsylvania,  April  6,  1828. 
His  father,  a  farmer,  born  in  New  Jersey,  was  a  pioneer 
settler  in  Pennsylvania,  and  removed  to  Northumberland 
County,  when  his  son  was  nine  years  of  age.  The  boy, 
when  very  young,  commenced  working  at  the  carpen¬ 
ter’s  trade,  which  he  followed  during  the  summer,  earn¬ 
ing  ten  dollars  a  month;  and  acquired  his  education  by 
attending  school  in  the  winter.  At  the  age  of  seven¬ 
teen,  he  becam.e  a  teacher,  and  continued  this  calling 
for  eight  years;  carrying  on  the  carpenter’s  trade  in  the 
summer  months.  In  the  year  1850,  at  the  age  of  twen¬ 
ty-two,  he  removed  to  Rockford,  Illinois,  and  followed 


his  former  occupations  until  1853,  when  he  commenced 
business  for  himself  as  a  contractor  and  house-builder, — 
an  enterprise  in  which  he  was  very  successful.  In  1856 
he  moved  to  Spring  Lake,  purchased  a  steam  saw-mill, 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  Pie  also 
bought  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  Grand  River  Valley. 
In  1861  Mr.  Cutler,  of  Grand  Haven,  joined  him  as  a 
partner.  The  firm  met  with  such  success,  that,  in  1871, 
they  purchased  a  two-thirds  interest  in  the  saw-mill 
known  as  the  property  of  Haire  &  Talford,  Spring 
Lake.  The  firm  of  Cutler  &  Savidge  was  succeeded  by 
the  Cutler  &  Savidge  Lumber  Company,  with  five  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  dollars  paid-up  capital.  Of  this  com¬ 
pany  Mr.  Savidge  is  President,  and  M.  J.  B.  Hancock 
Secretary.  When  their  mills  are  in  operation,  they  em¬ 
ploy  two  hundred  or  more  men;  and  it  is,  probably, 
the  most  extensive  lumber  concern  in  the  State.  They 
have  about  three  hundred  million  feet  of  standing  pine. 
In  1873  Mr.  Savidge  erected,  in  Grand  Haven,  a  fine 
block  of  buildings,  known  as  the  Odd-Fellows’  Block, 
which  is  a  credit  to  the  city.  In  1875  Savidge 
purchased  Spring  Lake  Hotel,  a  beautiful  summer 
resort,  celebrated  for  its  magnetic  springs.  He  takes 
great  pride  in  breeding  and  driving  fine  horses,  some  of 
which  he  has  imported  from  Kentucky.  His  sympathies 
in  politics  are  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and  has  been  an 
Odd-Fellow  since  1858.  February  12,  1857,  he  married 
Sarah  C.  Patten,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  They 
have  three  children.  Discreet  in  his  ventures,  energetic 
and  prompt  in  business  matters,  Mr.  Savidge  has 
worked  his  way  through  life,  and  placed  himself  in  the 
front  rank  of  Michigan’s  honest  and  upright  men. 

- - 

S'VNFORD,  ISAAC  H.,  of  Grand  Haven,  was  born 
in  Elmira,  Chemung  County,  New  York,  Septem¬ 
ber  27,  1837.  His  father,  Isaac  P.  Sanford,  is  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  and  his  mother,  of  New  York 
State.  Isaac  H.  received  a  thorough  business  education. 
The  family  removed  West,  and  settled  in  Akron,  Ohio, 
where  he  learned  the  tailor’s  trade  with  his  father. 
They  afterwards  found  employment  in  the  establishment 
of  a  merchant  tailor.  In  1856  Mr.  1.  PL  Sanford  removed 
to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  and  followed  his  former 
occupation  until  the  spring  of  1877.  He  was  elected 
Alderman  of  the  first  City  Council  in  Grand  Haven,  in 
1867.  In  the  same  year,  he  was  made  the  first  Chief-Engi¬ 
neer  of  the  Fire  Department.  In  1S77  he  was  elected 
Marshal  of  the  city.  He  is  a  Chapter  member  of  the 
Masonic  Fraternity,  and  belongs  to  the  society  of  Odd- 
Fellows.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
Mr.  Sanford  married,  in  1874,  Miss  Mary  L.  Osgood, 
of  Grand  Haven.  He  is  an  honest,  reliable  citizen. 


/ 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


•  V  . 


loS 


'ESSIONS,  IION.  WILLIAM,  Ionia,  Michigan, 
Jj  was  born  in  Marcellus,  Onondaga  County,  New 
York,  May  2,  1821.  His  parents,  Nathaniel  and 
Chloe  (Thompson)  Sessions,  early  removed  to  a  farm  in 
Harmony,  Chautauqua  County,  New  York.  Here  their 
son  William  attended  school  until  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age.  In  1837  he  went,  with  the  rest  of  the  family,  to 
Michigan,  and  settled  in  that  part  of  the  State  called 
North  Plains,  then  an  unbroken  wilderness.  Here  he 
remained  and  worked  until  he  became  of  age,  when  his 
father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of  the  wild  land  composing 
his  estate.  A  purchase  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
made  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he 
cleared,  and  upon  which  he  lived  for  thirty-four  years. 
During  this  time,  he  taught  for  several  winters  in  the 
district  school.  The  township  is  now  thickly  settled, 
and  contains  two  villages, —  Matherton,  of  five  hundred 
inhabitants,  and  Hubbardston,  of  seven  hundred, — both 
situated  on  Fish  Creek.  In  1871  Mr.  William  Sessions 
removed  to  Ionia.  The  next  year,  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Legislature,  and  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Public  Lands.  While  living  on  his  place 
at  North  Plains,  he  was  Supervisor  for  ten  years;  and 
also  held  the  offices  of  Township  Clerk,  Treasurer,  and 
School  Inspector.  Although  he  has  resided  but  a  few 
years  in  Ionia,  he  has  won  the  highest  regard  of  those 
who  know  him.  In  early  life,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  the  United  Brethren ;  but,  since  his  removal 
to  Ionia,  he  has  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In 
1854  Mr.  Sessions  married  Miss  Julia  Jennings,  a  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Mr.  John  Jennings,  of  Ronald  Township,  Ionia 
County,  Michigan.  They  have  had  four  children,  of 
whom  the  two  youngest  are  living. 


^-'ESSIONS,  LION.  ALONZO,  of  Ionia,  was  born 
August  4,  1810,  in  Marcellus,  Onondaga  County, 
New  York.  His  grandfather  owned  and  worked 
a  rough,  stony  farm  in  Connecticut.  Lie  had  a  family 
of  eleven  children,  all  of  whom  were  obliged  to  gain 
their  own  living.  Of  these,  Amasa  Sessions,  father  of 
Alonzo,  was  the  oldest  child ;  and,  at  the  age  of  nine¬ 
teen,  made  his  way,  on  foot,  into  the  wilderness  of 
Central  New  York.  He  had  acquired  the  rudiments  of 
an  education ;  and,  by  teaching,  and  clearing  land,  ob¬ 
tained  means  to  purchase  a  farm  on  the  east  side  of 
Skaneateles  Lake.  There  he  remained  until  near  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1838.  Llis  wife, 
Phoebe  Smith,  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  Job  Smith, 
an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Her  brother, 
Lewis  Smith,  was  Sheriff  of  Onondaga  County,  and  a 
member  of  the  New  York  Legislature.  She  was  re¬ 
markable  for  her  modest,  quiet  disposition,  love  of  her 
home  and  family,  and  untiring  industry.  She  had  nine 
children,  all  of  whom  survive  her.  Alonzo  Sessions 


was  trained  in  frugal,  industrious  habits.  He  made 
diligent  use  of  his  opportunities  for  an  education ;  and, 
after  leaving  school  at  Skaneateles,  taught  at  Galen, 
Wayne  County,  and  Owasco,  Cayuga  County.  In  1831 
he  went  to  Bennington,  where  he  was  engaged  two 
years  as  clerk  in  a  store.  As  compensation,  he  received 
his  board  and  ten  dollars  per  month,  from  which  he 
saved,  the  first  year,  one  hundred  dollars.  His  em¬ 
ployer  was  an  able,  intelligent  business  man,  who 
owned  an  establishment  consisting  of  a  store,  an  ashery, 
a  distillery,  a  grain-mill,  and  a  saw-mill.  In  this  posi¬ 
tion,  he  daily  learned  the  value  of  all  kinds  of  com¬ 
modities,  and  acquired  prompt  and  accurate  methods 
of  doing  business.  He  had  constant  opportunities  to 
deal  with  men  and  women,  to  study  human  nature  in 
all  its  phases,  and  to  weigh  the  motives  which  govern 
human  actions.  Meanwhile,  his  leisure  was  devoted  to 
reading  and  study.  In  1833  Mr.  .Sessions  left  his 
native  State,  and  traveled,  most  of  the  way  on  foot, 
from  Detroit  to  the  Land  Office  at  White  Pigeon,  Mich¬ 
igan.  His  route  was  by  way  of  Mt.  Clemens,  Romeo, 
and  Pontiac  to  Farmington.  At  the  latter  place,  he 
struck  the  Grand  River  trail,  which  crossed  the  Huron 
near  where  Kensington  now  is,  and  followed  it  through 
the  counties  of  Shiawassee,  Clinton,  and  Ionia,  to  the 
site  of  the  present  city  of  Ionia.  There  he  found  five 
families,  part  of  them  living  in  unfinished  log-cabins, 
and  the  others  in  Indian  wigwams.  From  Farmington 
to  Ionia,  his  brother  and  another  young  man  accompa¬ 
nied  him.  Their  food  w'as  bread  and  raw  pork ;  their 
bed,  the  ground  in  the  open  air,- — excepting  one  frosty 
night,  when  they  slept  in  a  deserted  wigwam  which 
they  found  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  Dewitt.  In 
Shiawassee,  their  trail  divided,  and,  after  some  hesita¬ 
tion,  they  took  what  proved  to  be  the  wrong  one;  for, 
after  crossing  a  small  river,  it  entered  a  dense  forest 
and  ended  abruptly  in  an  extensive  Indian  sugar-bush. 
After  retracing  their  steps,  they  ventured  doubtfully 
forward  and  reached  Ionia.  Llere  they  boarded  a 
Frenchman’s  baiteau  and  floated  dowm  Grand  River  to 
Grand  Rapids,  stopping  over  night  with  Rix  Robinson, 
an  Indian  trader,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Thornapple 
River.  They  traveled  on  foot  from  Grand  Rapids,  via 
Gull  Prairie,  Kalamazoo,  and  Three  Rivers,  to  White 
Pigeon,  and  camped  one  night  on  Bull’s  Prairie,  near 
the  Thornapple  River.  They  purchased  their  land,  and 
returned  to  Detroit  by  the  Chicago  road.  Mr.  Sessions 
spent  the  ensuing  winter  in  a  store  in  Tuscarawas 
County,  Ohio.  Lie  afterwards  taught  at  Dayton  until 
1835,  when  he  purchased  two  horses  and  started  north 
for  Ionia.  One  day’s  travel  brought  him  to  a  densely 
timbered  wilderness,  which  he  traversed  by  the  aid  of 
blazed  trees,  until  he  reached  Fort  Defiance,  on  the 
Maumee  River.  It  rained  all  the  time;  the  rivers, 
creeks,  and  bayous  were  swollen  to  overflowing,  and 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


109 


could  be  crossed  only  by  swimming  the  horses.  In  this 
primitive  way,  he  crossed  the  Auglaize  three  times,  and 
the  Maumee  once.  From  Fort  Defiance,  he  traveled 
down  the  Maumee,  swimming  the  creeks  and  bayous, 
until  he  was  opposite  Perrysburg,  Ohio.  There  he 
found  an  open  road  free  from  mud,  which  led  through 
an  unoccupied  region  to  Michigan.  Pie  passed  Ann 
Arbor,  Jackson,  and  Marshall,  which  were  then  scarcely 
worthy  the  name  of  villages.  At  Saline,  he  was  joined 
by  his  brother,  and  they  proceeded  to  Ionia.  The  way, 
from  Bellevue  on,  lay  through  a  dense  forest  and  across 
two  rivers.  The  journey  from  Dayton  to  Ionia  occu¬ 
pied  sixteen  days.  Mr.  Sessions  swam  his  horses  through 
all  the  streams,  crossed  numerous  swamps  and  marshes, 
and  once  left  his  horses  in  the  middle  of  a  stream  to  re¬ 
cover  some  article  which  had  dropped  from  the  pack- 
horn  and  floated  away.  Yet,  under  all  these  difficulties, 
he  and  his  brother,  with  their  horses,  reached  their  des¬ 
tination  in  safety.  Mr.  Sessions  immediately  made  him¬ 
self  a  home  on  his  land  in  the  wilderness.  He  built 
the  second  log-cabin  in  Berlin,  Ionia  County,  and  the 
first  bridges  across  the  small  streams  between  Ionia  and 
Saranac.  He  married,  in  August,  1837,  Celia,  second 
daughter  of  Judge  Dexter,  the  pioneer  of  Ionia  County. 
They  have  had  thirteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
living.  Mr.  Sessions  was  the  first  Supervisor  of  Cass 
(now  Berlin),  and  Chairman  of  the  first  Board  of  Su¬ 
pervisors  that  met  in  Ionia  County.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  held  the  position  several 
years.  He  was  Sheriff  of  Ionia  County  in  1841  and 
1842;  has  since  been  Supervisor  eighteen  times,  and 
often  Chairman  of  the  Board.  His  farm,  in  resources 
of  soil,  timber,  water,  stone,  etc.,  was  one  of  the  best 
in  the  State ;  but  it  was  also  one  of  the  most  difficult  to 
bring  under  control  and  cultivation.  The  amount  of 
labor  required  was  unusual;  the  results  were  remote 
and  uncertain;  but  the  work  was  carried  steadily  for¬ 
ward  with  courage  and  confidence,  Mr.  Sessions  direct¬ 
ing  all,  and  performing  much  of  it  with  his  own  hands. 
He  has  been  able  to  make  the  farm  support  his  family, 
pay  all  expenses  of  improvement,  and  provide  some¬ 
thing  for  future  use.  It  has  become  a  good  home  and  a 
valuable  inheritance.  Land  has  been  added  until  it  has 
increased  from  three  hundred  and  sixty  to  eight  hundred 
acres.  Mr.  Sessions  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature 
in  1856,  1858,  and  i860.  During  his  last  term  of  service, 
he  was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  Assessor  of  In¬ 
ternal  Revenue  for  the  Fourth  District  of  Michigan.  He 
faithfully  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  during  four 
years,  when,  on  his  disapproval  of  President  Johnson’s 
policy,  he  was  removed.  Mr.  Sessions  never  did  more 
severe,  unpleasant,  nor  honest  work,  than  while  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties  as  Assessor.  In  order  to  aid  the 
Government  to  raise  funds  during  the  Rebellion,  Mr. 
Sessions  and  others  organized  a  National  Bank  at  Ionia, 


of  which  he  has  been  a  Director  since  1863,  and  Presi¬ 
dent  since  1866.  He  has  been  President  of  the  Farmers’ 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  since  1870.  Both  in¬ 
stitutions  have  increased  in  strength  and  prosperity 
under  his  administration.  In  1872  he  was  chosen,  by 
the  Republicans  of  Michigan,  one  of  the  Presidential 
Electors;  and,  by  them.  President  of  the  Electoral  Col¬ 
lege.  In  1876,  without  any  effort  on  his  part,  he  was 
made  Lieutenant-Governor,  by  a  majority  of  sixteen 
thousand,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  his  opponent,  a 
Democrat,  received  the  Greenback  vote.  He  has  never 
solicited  official  positions.  His  ambition  has  been  to 
discharge  faithfully  all  his  duties,  and  to  encourage 
others  to  do  likewise.  Pie  has  especially  desired  to 
educate  his  children  to  be  valuable  citizens,  an  honor  to 
himself  and  the  country.  Few  living  men  have  had 
more  hardships  to  encounter,  greater  difficulties  to  over¬ 
come,  and  less  encouragement  in  their  struggle  with 
adverse  circumstances;  but  temptation  and  trouble  have 
not  been  able  to  move  him  from  the  path  of  duty,  nor 
to  shake  his  resolution  to  act  well  his  part. 


JOHN  L.,  Civil  Engineer,  Grand  Rapids, 
jan,  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Lucy  M.  (Rees) 
He  was  born  June  25,  1822,  in  West 
Stockbridge,  Massachusetts,  and  is  a  descendant  of  the 
Plymouth  colonists,  and  the  original  Dutch  settlers  of 
Albany,  New  York.  His  father  was  the  Congregational 
minister  at  Stockbridge,  and  Mr.  Shaw’s  boyhood  was 
passed  in  the  quiet  of  a  New  England  parsonage.  He 
passed  twenty  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  simple  home 
life;  was  educated  at  Williams  Academy,  in  Stockbridge; 
and,  in  1852,  took  a  situation  on  the  Civil  Engineer 
Corps  of  the  Hudson  River  Railroad;  and,  the  following 
year,  on  the  Chicago,  Alton  and  St.  Louis  Railroad,  in 
Illinois.  During  1854  he  had  charge  of  the  works  on 
the  Joliet  cut-off.  From  1855  to  i860,  he  was  engaged 
on  the  Toledo,  Peoria  and  Warsaw  Railroad;  the  next 
three  years  he  spent  in  New  York  with  Fairbanks  &  Co., 
scale  manufacturers.  In  1863  he  took  charge  of  the 
Civil  Engineer  Department,  between  Fort  Wayne  and 
Chicago,  on  the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago 
Railroad.  Two  years  later,  he  was  engaged  at  New 
Brighton,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  Lawrence  Railroad.  In 
1867  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  and  took 
charge  of  the  construction  of  the  Grand  Rapids  and 
Indiana  Railroad.  Subsequently  he  was  made  General 
Superintendent  of  the  road,  and  remained  in  connection 
with  it  until  1871.  In  that  year,  as  one  of  the  firm  of 
E.  B.  Talcott  &  Co.,  he  took  a  contract  for  finishing  the 
road  from  Paris  to  Petoskey.  In  1874  he  was  appointed 
on  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Public 
Works,  of  Grand  Rapids,  which  position  he  now  holds. 


Mich; 
Shaw 


I  lO 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICPIIGAN, 


He  has  also  been  connected  with  a  line  of  transfer  wagons 
since  1867.  Mr.  Shaw  is  a  Republican.  His  religious 
views  are  liberal ;  he  endeavors  to  follow  the  golden 
rule,  and  is  widely  respected  for  his  careful  and  honor¬ 
able  business  transactions.  Mr.  Shaw,  as  a  boy,  was 
more  deeply  interested  in  a  piece  of  machinery  than  in 
any  juvenile  amusement.  In  the  choice  of  his  profes¬ 
sion,  he  followed  the  dictates  of  his  natural  taste,  and  has 
profited  by  the  decision.  Plis  fortune  has  been  accumu¬ 
lated  by  his  own  skill  and  energy.  He  married,  October 
II,  1865,  Louisa  M.  Bradley,  daughter  oP  Joseph  I. 
Bradley,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Syracuse.  They 
have  one  daughter. 


^HEPARD,  CHARLES,  M.  D.,  Grand  Rapids, 
1|  was  born  in  1812,  in  Herkimer  County,  New 
York,  to  which  place  his  parents  had  em'grated 
from  Portland,  Connecticut.  He  received  his  academic 
education  in  his  native  town;  and,  in  the  spring  of 
1835,  graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur¬ 
geons,  of  Western  New  York.  He  removed  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  in  the  fall  of  1835,  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  medicine ;  to  the  various  departments  of 
which  he  devoted  himself  with  such  earnestness  that  he 
speedily  rose  to  the  head  of  his  profession.  In  1837,  a 
vessel  having  been  wrecked  off  Muskegon,  and  some  of 
the  crew  badly  frozen.  Dr.  Shepard  performed  amputa¬ 
tions  with  such  skill  as  to  bring  him  into  general  notice. 
During  the  winters  of  1843,  i860,  and  1872,  he  spent 
considerable  time  in  visiting  the  medical  and  surgical 
colleges  and  city  hospitals  in  New  York  City,  allowing 
no  improvements  in  medicine  or  surgery  to  escape  his 
notice.  Devoting  much  time  in  his  early  professional 
career  to  surgery  and  general  practice,  he  has,  for  many 
years  past,  made  a  specialty  of  obstetrics  and  the  diseases 
of  women.  In  this  department  he  has  acquired  such 
skill  as  to  increase  his  fame, — patients  being  brought  to 
him  not  only  from  different  portions  of  Michigan,  but 
also  from  other  States.  Dr.  Shepard  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Rapids  Medical  and  Surgical  Society  since 
its  organization.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Fraternity  for  fifteen  years.  He  voted  with  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  party  until  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compro¬ 
mise,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  Republican.  In 
1855  he.  was  elected  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids. 
In  1850  he  united  with  the  Swedenborgian  Church,  be¬ 
coming  one  of  the  Trustees.  He  married,  in  1836,  Lu¬ 
cinda  Putnam,  of  Herkimer  County,  New  York.  She 
was  a  Christian  lady  of  thorough  culture,  and  very  ac¬ 
tive  in  all  philanthropic  enterprises.  Her  death  occurred 
in  1872.  Dr.  Shepard  married,  in  1876,  Dora  N.  Sage, 
daughter  of  Edward  Sage,  of  Portland,  Connecticut. 


^TNCLAIR,  HON.  ROBERT  P.,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
was  born  in  Romulus,  Seneca  County,  New  York, 
October  17,  1814.  Pie  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Catherine  (Allen)  Sinclair,  both  natives  of  Ireland. 
His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Charles  Allen,  of 
County  Donegal,  and  his  father,  a  son  of  the  Rev. 
James  Sinclair,  a  preacher  in  Glastry,  County  Down, 
for  fifty-two  years.  They  were  married  at  Carrick-beach, 
Ireland,  by  the  Rev.  William  Moore,  of  Moneymove, 
in  1807,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1811.  After  land¬ 
ing  at  New  York,  they  preceded  to  Seneca  County,  and 
settled  on  the  shore  of  Cayuga  Lake,  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Sinclair’s  Landing.  There  Mr.  Sinclair  pur¬ 
chased  a  farm  of  six  hundred  acres ;  and,  in  a  few 
years,  became  a  wealthy  grain  dealer.  Robert  P.  Sin¬ 
clair  received  a  common-school  education,  and  then 
studied  at  Ovid  Academy,  and  at  Homer,  New  York, 
where  he  prepared  for  college.  At  Romulusville,  July 
4,  1835,  he  delivered  the  oration  of  the  day,  and  received 
the  hearty  applause  of  the  entire  assembly.  After  a  year 
spent  in  college  at  Geneva,  New  York,  he  went  to  the 
University  of  Edinburg.  Scotland.  He  visited,  during 
his  vacations,  his  relatives  in  Ireland,  and  traveled 
through  England  and  France.  He  graduated  in  1839, 
made  a  farewell  visit  to  Ireland,  and,  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  returned  to  the  United  States.  Shortly  after¬ 
wards,  he  began  reading  law  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan, 
in  the  office  of  Kingsley  &  Morgan,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1843.  Ill  health,  however,  prevented  his 
engaging  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1846  he 
erected  a  flour-mill  in  Washtenaw  County,  Michigan, 
which  he  managed  successfully  until  1848.  He  then 
sold  out,  moved  to  Grand  Rapids,  and,  the  following 
year,  began  the  practice  of  law.  At  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Rebellion,  a  delegation  of  Irish  citizens  waited  upon 
him,  and  expressed  their  desire  that  he  should  lead 
them  in  the  war  to  defend  the  Union.  Mr.  Sinclair 
consented,  and  obtained  authority  to  raise  an  independ¬ 
ent  regiment  of  infantry.  This  was  called  the  “  Irish 
Volunteers,”  with  the  motto,  “  It  is  better  to  fight  for 
the  FIRST  than  the  LAST  sod  of  our  country.”  They 
were  mustered  into  service  in  January,  as  the  14th 
Regiment  of  Michigan  Infantry,  commanded  by  Colonel 
R.  P.  Sinclair;  and,  two  months  later,  were  ordered  to  the 
front.  They  were  sent  first  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  then 
to  General  Halleck  at  Pittsburg  Landing;  and,  afterwards, 
to  General  Pope  at  Plamburg  Landing.  The  regiment 
was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Farmington,  and  Corinth, 
and  at  Big  Springs;  whence  they  made  a  forced  march  to 
Tuscumbia,  Alabama.  This  march  was  made  in  July, 
1862,  under  a  burning  sun,  which  tested,  to  the  utmost, 
the  endurance  of  the  men.  Many  dropped  by  the  way- 
side.  The  first  day’s  march  demonstrated  to  Colonel 
Sinclair  the  necessity  of  relieving  his  soldiers  of  their 
burdens  ;  and,  to  this  end,  he  applied  to  General  Morgan 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


1 1 1 


for  an  order  to  burn  or  store  their  knapsacks,  but  was 
refused  ;  General  Morgan  saying  he  would  take  no  re¬ 
sponsibility  in  the  premises.  The  Colonel  then  hired  a 
team  and  wagon,  and,  at  his  own  risk,  took  the  knap¬ 
sacks  of  his  regiment  to  Burnsville,  where  he  stored  them 
in  a  room  at  the  hotel.  This  put  his  men  in  light  march¬ 
ing  order.  On  their  arrival  at  Tuscumbia,  they  stacked 
four  hundred  and  fifty-six  guns;  while  no  other  regiment 
stacked  more  than  one  hundred.  Colonel  Sinclair  sent  one 
officer  and  one  man  back  to  Burnsville,  and,  in  a  few  days, 
had  all  the  goods  of  the  regiment  safe  within  the  lines. 
In  1862,  while  stationed  at  Tuscumbia,  the  Colonel  made  a 
speech  to  his  regiment,  reviewing  the  situation  of  the 
country;  and  stating,  among  other  things,  that  slavery 
was  the  only  and  legitimate  cause  of  the  war,  which 
would  never  end  until  that  curse  waS  abolished  from  the 
land.  This  was  bold  talk  then,  as  President  Lincoln  had 
not  yet  issued  his  Emancipation  Proclamation.  After 
leaving  Tuscumbia,  the  14th  Michigan  defended  Jackson 
Crossing  until  the  entire  army  moved  across  the  Ten¬ 
nessee  River,  on  the  retreat  to  Nashville.  On  arriving 
at  Athens,  Alabama,  General  John  M.  Palmer,  of  Illinois, 
joined  them  and  took  command.  A  courier,  sent  from 
Nashville  to  Tuscumbia  with  dispatches,  was  captured 
by  the  enemy.  Being  left  without  means  of  communi¬ 
cation,  theyiretreated  to  Nashville,  which  they  reached 
in  five  days,  and  where  they  remained  during  the  siege. 
It  was  on  this  march  from  Athens  to  Nashville,  that 
Colonel  Sinclair  barely  escaped  being  shot  in  an  en¬ 
counter  with  the  rebel  cavalry,  under  General  Roddy, 
while  endeavoring  to  save  one  of  his  wagons  which  had 
broken  down.  Soon  after.  General  Rosecrans  took 
commmand  of  the  army;  and,  under  him,  the  regi¬ 
ment  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Laveline  and 
Stone  River,  besides  several  others  of  less  importance. 
In  the  ^Dring  of  1863,  his  health  being  greatly  impaired. 
Colonel  Sinclair  resigned  his  commission,  and  returned 
to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  slowly  recovered  his  health. 
In  1866  he  became  Revenue  Collector  for  the  Fourth  Dis¬ 
trict  of  M  ichigan,  which  position  he  held  only  till  the  spring 
of  1867,  because  the  Senate  refused  to  confirm  President 
Johnson’s  appointment.  He  has,  since  then,  reaped  a 
rich  harvest  in  real  estate  and  law  business.  In  1852 
he  was  elected  Judge  of  Probate,  and  served  in  that  ca¬ 
pacity  four  years.  His  administration  was  signally 
successful,  as  was  attested  by  his  renomination,  on  two 
subsequent  occasions,  for  the  same  office.  Being  a  Dem¬ 
ocrat,  he  failed  to  be  elected,  in  consequence  of  tlie 
Republican  party’s  coming  into  power  during  the  war  ex¬ 
citement.  He  married,  at  Grand  Rapids,  September  17, 
1850,  Miss  Julia  H.  Allen,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  H. 
Allen,  formerly  of  Amherst,  Massachusetts.  The  cere¬ 
mony  was  performed  by  Rev.  Dr.  Gumming,  then  rector 
of  St.  Mark’s  Church.  Colonel  Sinclair  has  erected  sev¬ 
eral  buildings  and  deals  largely  in  real  estate.  He  has 


enjoyed  rare  opportunities  for  culture  ana  observation, 
both  at  home  and  abroad.  His  varied  abilities  have 
been  generously  used,  in  his  country’s  service,  in  camp, 
on  the  battle-field,  and  in  the  quiet  routine  of  profes¬ 
sional  and  mercantile  life.  As  an  officer,  he  was  always 
quick  to  see  the  necessities  of  his  troops,  and  ready  to 
devise  means  to  provide  for  them.  His  endeavors  to 
improve  the  city  in  which  he  lives  have  made  him  one 
of  its  most  valued  citizens. 

- - 

SMITH,  LE  MOYNE  S.,  REV.,  of  Grand  Haven, 
was  born  in  Hector,  Schuyler  County,  New  York, 
wxvvv  February  8,  1808.  His  grandfather,  Hon.  Grover 
Smith,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  removed  to 
Hector  in  1794,  where,  for  several  years,  he  held  the 
office  of  County  Judge.  He  died  about  the  year  1837. 
The  second  son,  William,  father  of  Mr.  Le  Moyne  S. 
Smith,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  in  1775. 
He  was  a  man  of  vigorous  powers,  both  of  mind  and 
body ;  very  decided  in  his  convictions,  and  firm  in  the 
maintenance  of  his  opinions.  When  about  eighteen 
years  of  age,  led  by  a  trifling  incident,  he  resolved  never 
to  drink  distilled  liquor.  Ele  kept  his  resolution,  and, 
twenty  years  afterwards,  was  a  leader  in  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  the  Hector  Temperance  Society,  which  is  now 
the  oldest  existing  temperance  society  in  the  world. 
In  1804  he  married  Mary  Warner.  They  brought  up  a 
family  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  four  sons  entered  the 
ministry.  Le  Moyne  S.  Smith  was  the  second  son  and 
third  child.  His  health  was  precarious,  and  he  remained 
at  home  until  his  seventeenth  year,  attending  school  in 
winter,  and  working  upon  the  farm,  as  he  was  able,  in 
summer.  He  became  very  fond  of  reading,  and  eagerly 
perused  the  newspapers,  and  many  of  the  books  in  his 
father’s  library,  especially  works  of  travel.  He  also  read 
the  poems  of  Milton,  Young,  and  Cowper.  The  biogra¬ 
phy  of  Benjamin  Franklin  made  him  desirous  of  learning 
the  printing  business,  and,  in  1825,  he  entered  the  o-Tce 
of  the  Geneva  Gazette.  Here  he  found  means  for  mental 
culture  in  the  bookstore  and  circulating  library  connected 
with  the  office.  Extreme  diffidence  prevented  his  engag¬ 
ing  in  social  gayeties,  while  his  early  education  and  sur¬ 
rounding  circumstances  combined  to  keep  him  from  evil 
associations.  Two  years  of  close  attention  to  business  so 
injured  his  health  that  he  was  compelled  to  find  other 
employment.  He  taught  school  for  some  time,  after 
which  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr. 
Enos  Barnes,  of  Yates  County.  For  several  years  he 
was  engaged  in  various  efforts  to  promote  the  cause  of 
temperance.  In  1831,  in  a  powerful  revival  of  religion 
in  the  village  of  Eddytown,  he  was  converted,  and  felt 
himself  called  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  minis¬ 
try.  He  at  once  commenced  the  needful  studies.  In 


I  13 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


Yates  County  Academy,  and  Geneva  Lyceum,  he  pre¬ 
pared  for  an  advanced  standing  in  college.  He  then 
went  to  Lane  Seminary;  but  his  health  failed,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  suspend  study  entirely.  He  went  to 
Michigan  in  1837,  and  devoted  the  summer  to  out-door 
emj^loyment.  He  afterwards  taught,  for  some  time,  in 
an  academy  in  Marshall.  Meanwhile,  in  February,  1838, 
he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Presbytery  of  Marshall, 
and  was  ordained  the  November  following.  He  was  able 
to  continue  in  the  active  work  of  the  ministry  only  eight 
years.  Under  his  labors  several  revivals  occurred.  In 
Grass  Lake,  Jackson  County,  the  Presbyterian  Church 
doubled  its  numbers  in  a  year  and  a  half, —  between  sev¬ 
enty  and  eighty  having  joined  the  several  churches  upon 
profession  of  their  faith.  The  last  five  years  of  his  work, 
from  1842  to  1847,  were  spent  in  laying  the  foundations 
of  the  churches  in  Ionia,  Portland,  Lyons,  and  Otisco. 
His  labors  in  preaching,  and  pastoral  visiting  over  so 
large  a  field,  developed  a  pulmonary  disease,  which,  in 
the  spring  of  1847,  brought  him,  apparently,  to  the  bor¬ 
ders  of  the  grave.  At  length,  however,  he  recovered  his 
general  health,  though  the  condition  of  his  lungs  unfitted 
him  for  much  public  speaking.  In  1848  he  removed, 
with  his  family,  to  Spring  Lake,  Ottawa  County,  where 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  business.  Here  he  established 
a  Sabbath  School,  of  which  he  was  Superintendent  for 
nearly  twelve  years.  Mr.  Smith  was  educated  a  Whig, 
but  early  in  life  became  an  Abolitionist,  and  afterwards 
joined  the  Republican  party.  In  1862  he  removed  to 
Grand  Plaven,  and  established  the  Grand  Haven  Union, 
a  Republican  weekly  newspaper,  of  which  for  nearly  ten 
years  he  was  editor  and  publisher.  From  1863  to  1871 
he  held  the  office  of  Assistant  Assessor,  under  the  Inter¬ 
nal  Revenue  law.  In  the  autumn  of  1864  he  was  ap¬ 
pointed,  by  Governor  Blair,  one  of  the  Election  Com¬ 
missioners  to  secure  the  votes  of  the  army  in  the  South. 
Mr.  Smith  was  married,  in  November,  1838,  in  Ottawa 
County,  to  Miss  B.  Ann  Hopkins,  who  died  in  February, 
1858.  They  had  two  daughters.  He  was  married  again, 
in  November,  1859,  at  Lyons,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Phoebe  S. 
Parmelee,  late  of  Lima,  New  York.  In  the  spring  of 
1877  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Grand  Haven,  by 
President  Hayes.  This  position  he  filled  with  credit  to 
himself  and  general  satisfaction  to  the  public. 


SLAYTON,  NATHANIEL  VOLNEY,  of  Grand 
Haven,  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Stowe  and  Millison 
Carver  (Randall)  Slayton.  He  was  born  in  Stowe, 
Lamoille  County,  Vermont,  September  15,  1838.  Hav¬ 
ing  a  desire  for  knowledge,  and  being  studious  and  at¬ 
tentive,  he  obtained  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  village.  During  the  summer  of 
1858  he  assisted  his  father,  who  was  extensively  engaged 
in  farming  and  horticulture  for  about  fifteen  years.  He 


visited  the  West  in  1859,  and,  being  favorably  impressed, 
arranged  his  affairs  at  home,  and  returned  to  Michigan. 
January  28,  1862,  he  entered  the  store  of  Hon.  Dwight 
Cutler,  of  Grand  Haven,  as  clerk.  By  honesty,  industry, 
and  energy  he  accumulated  means  to  begin  business  for 
himself,  in  the  firm  of  Sheldon  &  Slayton.  This  soon  be¬ 
came  one  of  the  prominent  dry-goods  firms  of  Michigan, 
making  sales  to  the  amount  of  from  sixty-five  to  ninety- 
five  thousand  dollars  annually.  After  seven  years,  being 
in  very  poor  health,  he  settled  his  business  and  took  a 
holiday.  September  17,  1873,  having  somewhat  recov¬ 
ered,  he  resumed  active  life  and  opened  a  large  and 
successful  grocery  establishment.  Mr.  Slayton  never 
aspired  to  public  honors;  but,  in  1876,  at  the  earnest 
request  of  his  friends,  he  consented  to  run  against  C. 
J.  Pfaff  and  Gerritt  Bottje,  for  City  Treasurer,  and  was 
elected  by  a  flattering  Republican  majority.  December 
17,  1874,  he  married  Martha  Florence  Shippey.  They 
have  one  daughter.  Mr.  Slayton’s  religious  views  are 
liberal  and  rational.  Pie  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Fraternity,  and  is  a  Knight  Templar.  He  endeavors 
to  live  according  to  the  exemplary  maxims  of  that  body, — 
giving  to  the  needy,  caring  for  the  orphan,  and  recog¬ 
nizing  the  brotherhood  of  man.  He  is  genial  and  char¬ 
itable,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow-citizens. 

- K>« - 

SMITH,  IRA  O.,  President  of  the  Muskegon 
Booming  Company,  Muskegon,  Michigan,  was 
born  at  Victor,  Monroe  County,  New  York,  Jan¬ 
uary  28,  1827.  His  father,  Oren  Smith,  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  city  of  Rochester,  New  York,  and 
an  extensive  land-holder  there,  when  it  was  but  an  in¬ 
significant  village.  He  was  also  an  eager  promoter  of 
the  construction  of  the  Erie  Canal.  Ira  O.  Smith 
received  such  education  as  the  district  schools  afforded. 
When  eleven  years  of  age,  he  removed,  with  his  parents, 
to  Flint,  Michigan,  where  he  engaged  in  work  on  his 
father’s  farm,  until  he  was  twenty  years  old.  He  then 
went  to  Grand  Haven;  and,  engaging  with  William  M. 
P’erry  in  the  lumber  business,  remained  five  years. 
Plaving  accumulated  some  property  during  this  period; 
he  removed  to  Black  Lake,  in  1852,  and  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  saw-mill  known  as  the  Black  Lake  Mill. 
The  place  being  then  a  wilderness,  he  was  compelled,  al¬ 
though  laboring  under  many  disadvantages,  to  build  pub¬ 
lic  roads,  and  make  other  improvements  necessary  to 
facilitate  the  shipment  of  lumber.  Notwithstanding  these 
drawbacks,  he  carried  on  this  business,  with  consider¬ 
able  success,  for  ten  years.  In  1862  Mr.  Smith  sold 
out  his  business  at  Black  Lake,  and  removed  to  Muske¬ 
gon,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and  con¬ 
tinued  in  the  same  for  five  years.  In  1867  he  became 
junior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Swan,  White  &  Smith. 
He  afterwards  became  managing  partner  of  the  firm, 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


1^3 


which,  by  the  aid  of  his  ability,  has  been  vei'y  success¬ 
ful.  Having  also  become  a  stockholder  in  the  Muske¬ 
gon  Booming  Company,  he  was  elected  its  Secretary  in 
1872,  and  President  in  1874.  He  still  holds  the  latter 
office,  giving  general  satisfaction  to  the  company.  So  well 
has  the  business  prospered  under  his  management,  that 
it  pays  the  stockholders  the  handsome  annual  profit  of 
twenty  per  cent.  Since  his  residence  in  Muskegon  County, 
Mr.  Smith  has  been  successively  elected  to  the  offices  of 
County  Clerk  and  Register,  Supervisor  and  Alderman,- — 
ail  of  which  he  has  filled  with  credit  to  himself,  and 
satisfaction  to  those  who  supported  him.  He  is  a  prom¬ 
inent  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and  also  of 
the  order  of  Odd-Fellows.  As  a  public-spirited  citizen, 
he  has  largely  identified  himself  with  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  city  of  Muskegon.  In  November, 
1854,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Kate  A.  Boyse,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan.  They  have  one  daughter,  Minnie 
L.,  who  was  born  in  June,  1858. 


J^AHTH,  HON.  GEORGE  MORTIMER,  of  White- 
hall,  Michigan,  was  born  March  16,  1841,  at 

Springfield,  Otsego  County,  New  York,  and  is  the 
son  of  William  B.  and  Charlotte  R.  Smith,  of  Coopers- 
town.  New  York.  He  received  his  education  at  the 
common  schools,  and  at  Alfred  University,  Alleghany 
County,  New  York.  He  learned  telegraphing,  and  was 
first  employed  as  telegraph  operator  on  the  Atlantic  and 
Great  Western  Railroad,  at  Salamanca,  New  York,  and 
was  promoted  to  be  First  Superintendent  of  telegraph 
and  train  dispatches  on  the  same  road.  He  subsequently 
occupied  a  similar  position,  for  several  years,  on  the 
Blossburg,  Corning  and  Tioga  Railroad.  In  1867  he 
entered,  as  book-keeper,  the  employment  of  the  Horn- 
elLsville  Lumber  Company,  at  Whitehall,  Michigan.  A 
few  years  later,  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the. company; 
and,  directly  after,  became  a  member  of  the  new  firm, 
which  bought  out  the  old  partnership  of  J.  Alley  & 
Co.  He  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  advancement 
of  Whitehall,  and  has  served  one  term  as  its  President. 
In  the  fall  of  1876,  he  was  Representative  in  the 
Michigan  Legislature,  and  acted  as  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  State-prisons,  and  as  member  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Railroads.  He  belongs  to  the  societies  of 
Odd-Fellows  and  Masons,  and  is  a  member  of  Painted 
Post  Lodge,  at  Corning;  of  the  De  Molai  Commandery, 
at  Hornellsville ;  and  of  the  Corning  Consistory  of  Scot¬ 
tish  Rites.  He  is  a  conservative  Republican.  In  1856 
he  married  Rhoda  F.  Alley,  daughter  of.  the  Hon.  James 
Alley,  of  Hornellsville,  New  York,  who,  for  many  years, 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  Republican  party 
in  Western  New  York.  Mr.  Smith  has  a  keen  appre¬ 
ciation  of  wit  and  humor,  and  an  inexhaustible  fund 
of  amusing  incidents,  which  he  is  ever  ready  to  relate. 

70 


^^MILEY,  MITCHELL  J.,  Grand  Rapids,  is  a  native 
■ivlf  of  South  Avon,  Livingston  County,  New  York,  and 
was  born  on  the  2d  of  May,  1841.  His  father, 
Mitchell  S.  Smiley,  originally  from  Maryland,  removed  to 
Van  Buren  County,  Michigan,  in  1851,  and  settled  on  a 
farm.  Here  the  son  spent  his  life  up  to  the  year  1858, 
doing  farm  work  in  the  summer,  and  attending  school  dur¬ 
ing  the  winter  months.  Pie  then  entered  the  Kalamazoo 
College,  teaching  school  a  portion  of  each  year.  In  i860 
he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Balch  &  De  Yoe,  then 
the  leading  law  firm  in  Kalamazoo,  and  continued  to 
teach  during  the  winters,  as  before.  Pie  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  May  24,  1862,  and  the  following  year  com¬ 
menced  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  a  few  months 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  tutor,  Nathaniel  A. 
Balch;  soon  after,  Walter  O.  Balch,  a  son  of  his  partner, 
was  admitted  to  the  firm,  which  did  a  prosperous  business 
under  the  name  of  Balch,  Smiley  &  Balch.  Mr.  Smiley 
gave  early  evidence  of  much  legal  talent.  In  1872,  it 
became  necessary  to  take  an  additional  member  into  the 
firm  of  Hughes  &  O’Brien,  of  Grand  Rapids, —  a  firm 
possessed  of  great  ability  and  doing  an  extensive  business. 
This  position,  without  solicitation,  was  offered  to  Mr. 
Smiley ;  he  accepted  it,  and  the  firm  of  Hughes,  O’Brien 
&  Smiley  was  formed.  Since  that  time,  no  lawyer  in 
the  State  has  tried  more  causes  or  been  more  successful 
than  he.  His  great  strength  is  in  the  careful  prepara¬ 
tion,  and  plain,  straightforward  jjresentation  of  his  cases. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Smiley  has  always  been  a  Democrat;  he 
was  twice  a  candidate  for  Representative,  in  the  Kala¬ 
mazoo  District,  but  in  each  instance  suffered  a  party  de¬ 
feat.  He  married,  in  August,  1874,  P'lorence  M.,  daughter 
of  Andrew  J.  P'itts,  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire. 
Mr.  Smiley  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  good  habits; 
he  has  been  successful  in  business,  and  is  an  esteemed 
citizen. 


PMITH,  HON.  ROBERT  BRUCE,  of  Portland, 
I  Ionia  County,  was  born  April  21,  1834,  at  Fair- 
field,  Plerkimer  County,  New  York.  He  was  the 
son  of  Richard  R.  and  Elizabeth  (Snell)  Smith,  and 
grandson  of  Jacob  Marshall,  who  was  a  member  of  Con¬ 
gress  during  the  War  of  1812.  His  mother  was  of  Ger¬ 
man  descent.  Mr.  Smith  received  his  early  education  at 
P’airfield,  his  native  town,  and  graduated  from  the  med¬ 
ical  department  of  the  University  of  New  York  in  1854. 
He  practiced  medicine  at  P'airfield  until  1858,  when  he 
received  a  position  as  surgeon  on  a  vessel,  visited  Eng¬ 
land,  and  returned  to  New  York.  In  1863  he  bought 
the  “Ne  Plus  Ultra”  flour-mill  at  Portland,  and  has 
since  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  flour  in  that  place.  He  is  also  connected  with 
the  firm  of  Robert  Smith  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  school 
and  church  furniture.  In  1867  he  was  elected  to  the 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


I14 

Lower  House  of  the  State  Legislature,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1869.  While  filling  this  position,  he  was  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Railroads,  and  a  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Ways  and  Means.  In  1869  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  village  of  Portland.  He  has  been  a 
Trustee  of  the  School  Board  three  times,  and  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  educational  interests.  In  all  railroad 
enterprises  for  the  benefit  of  the  town,  he  has  evinced  a 
deep  interest.  Pie  was  a  member  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee,  and  one  of  the  first  Directors  of  the  Detroit, 
Lansing  and  Lake  Michigan  Railroad.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  and  of  the  Ionia  and 
Montcalm  Life  Insurance  Company.  In  i860  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  has  held  many  important  offices  in  the  various 
lodges.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for 
John  C.  Fremont.  He  is  connected  with  the  Congre¬ 
gational  Church  of  Portland,  and  holds  the  position  of 
trustee.  He  was  married,  September  12,  i860,  to  Emily 
E.  Read.  They  have  three  children.  Mr.  Smith’s 
physique  is  fine,  and  his  presence  distinguished.  By  his 
integrity  and  acknowledged  ability,  he  commands  the 
respect  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


f^M'ITH,  J.  MORGAN,  Congregational  Minister, 
[I  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  April  26,  1833,  in 
Great  Falls,  New  Hampshire.  His  father.  Rev. 
James  A.  Smith,  was  born  in  1806,  and  was  one  of  the 
fifteen  children  of  Norman  Smith,  a  man  of  piety  and 
repute  in  Hartford  County,  Connecticut.  He  was  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Glastonbury,  of  that  State,  for  twenty 
years,  and  is  still  a  preacher  highly  esteemed  for  his 
good  judgment  and  sincerity.  His  mother,  Mary  (Mor¬ 
gan)  Smith,  was  the  daughter  of  Joseph  Morgan,  of 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  whose  ancestry,  in  New  England, 
dates  back  to  1635,  and  who  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Aitna  Insurance  Company,  of  Hartford.  Mr. 
Smith,  as  a  boy,  was  forward  in  his  studies;  he  was 
always  ready  for  work  and  play.  He  read  a  great  deal; 
and,  having  exhausted  the  town  library,  his  father  bor¬ 
rowed  books  from  the  city,  five  miles  distant.  He  was 
especially  fond  of  fiction  and  history.  At  twelve  years 
of  age,  he  went  to  the  old  Plopkins  Grammar  School, 
in  Hartford,  where  he  spent  five  years  preparing  for 
Yale  College.  He  entered  the  P'reshman  Class  in  1850, 
and  was  an  eager,  but  not  an  ambitious,  student.  He 
had  very  good  teachers;  and  was  fortunate  in  becoming 
well  acquainted  with  Thomas  K.  Beecher,  of  Elmira, 
New  York,  who  was  then  Principal  of  the  Pligh  School 
in  Hartford.  He  spent  much  time  in  the  study  of 
poetry,  which  has  left  a  visible  impress  on  his  senti¬ 
ments.  He  graduated  in  1854,  among  the  first  ten  in 
his  class.  Upon  leaving  college,  he  went  to  Elmira, 


New  York,  where,  for  six  months,  he  taught  private 
classes  in  the  higlier  branches  of  learning.  Feeling  the 
need  of  physical  exercise,  he  then  spent  a  half  year  in 
work  and  travel  in  Central  Wisconsin.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  urged  by  a  strong  desire  to  become  a  min¬ 
ister,  he  went  to  Andover,  Massachusetts,  to  study 
theology.  He  was  averse  to  the  theological  spirit  which 
prevailed ;  and,  for  four  years,  earnestly  and  untiringly 
sought  a  better  way.  During  an  interval  in  his  study, 
he  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  spent  a  year  in  pre¬ 
paring  boys  for  college,  thereby  earning  money  to  pursue 
his  own  studies.  Immediately  after  leaving  Andover, 
he  took  charge  of  a  small  church  in  West  Avon,  Hart¬ 
ford  County,  Connecticut,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  He  then  spent  a  year  in  reading,  irregular 
preaching,  and  visiting  the  army  with  supplies  for.  the 
sick.  Upon  an  invitation  from  the  New  England  Church 
in  Chicago,  he  went  there  to  supply  its  pulpit  for  seven 
weeks;  after  which,  among  several  calls,  he  chose  that 
from  the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  During  his  ministry  of 
nearly  fourteen  years,  the  membership  of  the  church  has 
been  doubled;  a  new  edifice  erected,  which  will  hold  a 
thousand  persons;  and  two  smaller  churches  have  been 
built.  In  August,  1859,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Cor¬ 
delia  B.  Root,  of  Middletown,  Connecticut.  They  have 
five  children.  Mr.  Smith  has  worked  in  accordance 
with  his  conviction  that  a  church  should  labor  as  well 
as  pray;  give,  as  well  as  receive;  that  the  minister  is 
not  a  man  of  authority,  but  a  brother  among  his  con¬ 
gregation;  and  that  a  regular  minister  accomplishes  more 
than  a  chance  one.  He  has  sought  to  preach  the  truth, 
reasonably  and  lovingly,  and  his  work  has  grown  around 
him. 


■o< 


fMITH,  GENERAL  ISRAEL  C.,  Grand  Rapids, 
was  born  in  that  city  March  12,  1839.  He  is  the  - 
son  of  Canton  Smith,  who  emigrated  from  Rhode 
Island  to  Grand  Rapids,  in  1838,  where  he  still  resides. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  place,  and  in  Albion  College.  After  leaving  col¬ 
lege,  he  entered  tire  employment  of  James  Blair;  and 
afterwards,  as  a  student,  the  law  office  of  James  Miller, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  In  1858  General  Smith 
made  a  tour  of  the  Southern  and  Western  States;  and,  the 
following  year,  crossed  the  plains  to  Pike’s  Peak,  Utah, 
and  California.  After  a  short  sojourn,  he  returned  via 
Panama.  In  i860  he  was  clerk  on  a  steamboat  on  the 
Mississippi  River.  In  1861  he  enlisted,  as  a  private,  in 
the  old  3d  Michigan  Infantry;  but,  before  they  left 
Grand  Rapids,  he  received  the  commission  of  Second 
Lieutenant.  From  that  time  to  the  end  of  the  war,  he 
rose  rapidly  through  all  the  grades,  up  ’to  Colonel  of 


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II 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


Cavalry  and  Brigadier-General.  In  official  reports,  he 
was  often  mentioned  favorably  for  his  bravery  and  effi¬ 
ciency.  He  served,  as  Assistant  Inspector-General,  on 
the  staff  of  Generals  Haymen  and  De  Trobriand,  Army 
of  the  Potomac;  and  also  on  that  of  Generals  Tillson, 
Ammon,  Gillem,  and  Stoneman,  in  the  West.  He  took 
part  in  forty-three  battles,  one  siege,  and  a  number  of 
skirmishes.  He  was  promoted  on  his  first  battle-field,  at 
Bull  Run.  In  1862  he  accepted  a  Captaincy  in  his  own 
regiment,  in  preference  to  the  position  of  Aid-de-camp 
on  General  Richardson’s  staff.  His  name  was  especially 
mentioned  for  bravery  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  by 
General  Phil.  Kearney.  General  Smith  took  an  active 
part  in  all  of  the  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
from  first  Bull  Run  to  Gettysburg  inclusive,  except  An- 
tietam,  when  he  was  in  a  hospital,  wounded.  In  the 
battle  of  Groveton,  or  second  Bull  Run,  several  com¬ 
panies  having  become  detached  from  their  regiment. 
General  Smith  took  his  place  at  their  head,  and  led 
them  to  the  charge;  driving  the  enemy  from  their  posi- 
,  tion,  and  receiving  two  wounds  in  his  shoulder.  Having 
recovered  from  his  wounds,  he  served  in  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg  as  Aid-de-camp  to  General  Jlerry.  He 
was  appointed. by  General  Heintzelman  Assistant  In¬ 
spector-General  of  Brigade,  and  assigned  to  the  Third 
Brigade,  Second  Division,  Third  Army  Corps,  on  Gen¬ 
eral  Haymen’s  staff.  He  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight 
in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and  commanded  the 
right  wing  in  the  night  charge  when  Stonewall  Jackson 
was  killed.  At  sunrise,  the  Federal  troops  were  charged 
by  the  enemy  and  thrown  into  some  confusion.  While 
General  Smith  was  riding  at  full  speed  to  rally  a  regi¬ 
ment  on  the  right  of  General  Haymen,  his  horse  was 
struck  by  a  twelve-pound  shot  on  the  top  of  the  neck 
just  in  front  of  the  shoulder;  but  the  General  instantly 
procured  another,  and  accomplished  his  purpose.  On 
the  same  day,  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  volunteers,  he 
charged  and  recaptured  a  battery  which  the  rebels  had 
taken  from  the  Union  troops.  In  the  battle  of  Gettys¬ 
burg,  he  served  on  the  staff  of  General  De  Trobriand; 
and,  in  attempting  to  re-form  a  disordered  regiment,  he 
was  wounded  in  the  leg  by  a  ball,  and  his  horse  was  shot 
under  him.  He  was  carried  off  the  field,  and  left,  with 
General  Byron  R.  Pierce,  in  an  old  wooden  building, 
where  they  remained  without  care  until  the  second  day 
after  the  battle.  Upon  his  recovery,  he  was  appointed 
Major  of  the  loth  Michigan  Cavalry,  and  ordered  to 
the  Army  of  the  Ohio.  In  1864  he  dismounted  his  force 
and  charged  the  enemy’s  works  at  Watauga  Bridge,  Ten¬ 
nessee.  General  Smith  was  the  first  to  enter  the  fort. 
He  soon  after  led  an  attack  on  General  John  Morgan’s 
troops,  posted  in  superior  numbers  at  Morristown  ;  broke 
their  center,  and  drove  them  from  their  position.  In 
May,  1864,  as  Acting  Assistant  Inspector-General,  he 
was  assigned  to  the  staff  of  General  Davis  Tillson ; 


and,  in  August,  was  transferred  to  that  of  General 
Alvan  C.  Gillem.  Knoxville  being  threatened  by  a  cav¬ 
alry  force  of  five  thousand  men,  commanded  by  General 
Wheeler,  General  Smith  was  called,  by  telegram,  to  its 
defense.  At  the  head  of  a  body  of  cavalry,  seventy-five 
in  number,  he  started  out  to  watch  the  movements  of 
General  Wheeler.  In  passing  through  a  piece  of  woods, 
he  received  a  volley  from  the  enemy  at  short  range ; 
but,  charging  on  the  instant,  he  routed  the  regiment  of 
Texas  Rangers  four  hundred  strong,  and  chased  them 
right  into  the  center  of  Wheeler’s  camp,  two  miles 
away.  Finding  that  he  was  completely  surrounded,  he 
charged  through  the  rebel  lines.  It  was  now  a  race  for 
life  to  get  out.  They  fought  their  way  desperately  for 
five  miles,- — a  part  of  the  distance  Union  and  rebel  troops 
being  mixed  together;  using  saber  and  revolver  indis¬ 
criminately.  General  Smith  escaped  with  thirteen  men. 
In  November,  1864,  in  order  to  reinforce  General  A.  C. 
Gillem,  who  was  hard  pressed  by  General  Breckinridge, 
General  Smith  took,  on  a  train  of  cars,  three  hundred 
men  and  one  piece  of  artillery.  After  going  to  Morris¬ 
town,  about  forty  miles  distant,  they  met  General  Gillem’s 
united  forces,  but  could  not  prevent  their  retreat.  Pie 
posted  his  men  behind  fences  and  an  embankment,  and, 
by  firing  at  short  range,  drove  the  rebels  back  twice. 
The  engineer  became  frightened  at  the  first  discharge, 
and  drew  off  the  train.  As  the  enemy  were  again  ad¬ 
vancing,  with  a  force  of  over  three  thousand  men. 
General  Smith  ordered  a  retreat.  After  eighteen  hours’ 
hard  travel  through  the  woods,  he  succeeded  in  uniting 
his  command  with  the  Union  forces  at  Strawberry 
Plains.  During  the  winter  of  1864,  he  was  on  General 
Stoneman’s  staff;  and,  when  not  engaged  in  the  duties 
of  his  position,  was  out  with  a  cavalry  force,  trying  to 
strike  the  enemy  at  every  available  point.  At  Salisbury, 
North  Carolina,  he  charged  a  rebel  battery  at  two  differ¬ 
ent  times,  having  his  horse  and  most  of  his  men  killed 
at  the  first  attack.  He  procured  fresh  troops,  captured 
the  battery,  and  drove  the  enemy  through  the  town. 
The  rebel  force  was  entirely  destroyed,  as  those  who 
were  not  killed  were  taken  prisoners.  In  the  spring  of 
1865,  at  his  own  request,  he  was  released  from  staff  duty 
and  ordered  to  the  command  of  his  regiment.  On  the 
22d  of  November,  1865,  with  his  regiment,  he  was  mus¬ 
tered  out  of  service.  He  married  Miss  Ada  E.  Meeker, 
October  9,  1867.  The  reputation  held  by  General  Smith 
among  his  brother  officers  may  be  shown  by  the  follow¬ 
ing  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  General  Davis  Tillson 
to  General  Thomas,  Adjutant-General  of  the  Armies  of 
the  United  States: 

“Lieutenant-Colonel  Smith  has  served  under  my  com¬ 
mand,  or  immediate  observation,  for  the  past  eighteen 
montlis.  His  conspicuous  courage,  capacity,  and  gal¬ 
lantry  have  made  him  an  object  of  admiration  to  the 
whole  command.  He  wears  the  scars  of  several  wounds 
received  in  battles  where  he  exhibited  the  most  dis- 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


1 16 

tinguished  bravery  and  ability.  I  know  of  no  officer  in 
the  entire  army  who  possesses  a  more  brilliant  and  de¬ 
serving  record.” 

Since  leaving  the  army,  General  Smith  has  spent  sev¬ 
eral  years  in  Missouri,  Kansas,  Colorado,  and  New 
hlexico,  engaged  in  mining  and  raising  stock.  In  1873 
General  Smith  returned  to  Grand  Rapids;  and,  in  com¬ 
pany  with  George  B.  Morton,  erected  the  Morton  House; 
a  one-half  interest  in  which  he  still  retains.  Having 
turned  his  attention  to  railroads,  he  is  now  connected 
with  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana  road.  He  controls 
the  Fire  Department;  is  one  of  the  Police  Commis¬ 
sioners,  and  commands  the  2d  Regiment  of  Michigan 
State  -Troops. 

- »o< 

STANTON,  ERASTUS  IE,  of  Ionia,  Michigan, 

'  was  born  at  Durham,  Greene  County,  New  York, 
November  13,  1816. •  His  father,  James  R.  Stan¬ 
ton,  was  a  son  of  Reuben  Stanton,  a  Baptist  minister, 
whose  parents  removed  from  Stonington,  Connecticut,  to 
Westerloo,  Albany  County,  New  York,  in  the  year  1790. 
The  family  is  of  Welsh  descent.  His  mother,  Martha 
(Niles)  Stanton,  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Niles,  a  de¬ 
scendant  from  a  Scotch  family  belonging  to  the  sect  of 
Quakers,  or  Friends.  They  were  persecuted  for  their 
opinions  under  the  reign  of  Charles  IE,  and  tied  to  a 
new  continent,  that  they  might  enjoy  that  freedom  of 
opinion  denied  at  home.  They  suffered  this  indignity 
because,  like  all  Friends,  they  professed  to  be  conscien¬ 
tiously  opposed  to  the  payment  of  tithes;  to  doing  mili¬ 
tary  duty;  to  taking  oaths  in  courts  of  justice,  and  taking 
off  the  hat  as  an  act  of  homage  to  man.  The  Niles 
family  settled  in  Rhode  Island  in  1672.  Mr.  Stanton’s 
grandfather  and  grandmother  were  married  in  1780,  and 
removed  first  to  Dutchess  County,  and,  soon  after  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  to  Albany  County,  New 
York.  His  parents  were  married  in  1813,  and  removed 
to  Durham,  Greene  County,  New  York,  where  his  father 
followed  the  business  of  tanner,  shoemaker,  and  farmer. 
Mr.  Erastus  Stanton  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  academy  of  his  native  town.  An  early  developed 
taste  for  reading  was  gratified  by  access  to  a  circulating 
library,  in  which  his  father  owned  an  interest  for  forty 
years.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was  placed,  at  his  own 
request,  with  a  mercantile  firm  in  Rensselaerville,  Al¬ 
bany  County,  where  he  was  initiated  into  the  details  of 
business  life ;  his  first  lessons  were  in  sawing  wood, 
sweeping  the  store,  measuring  ashes,  and  weighing 
sugar.  He  remained  with  this  firm  until  the  year  1837, 
accjuainting  himself  with  all  details,  and  then  com¬ 
menced  business  for  himself  at  Greenville,  Greene  County, 
New  York,  where  he  remained  twelve  years.  At  the  end 
of  that  time,  he  removed  to  Angelica,  Alleghany  County. 
It  was  generally  supposed  that  the  Erie  Railroad  was  to 


pass  through  the  place,  thus  promising  to  make  it  an  im¬ 
portant  town.  But  these  anticipations  were  not  realized. 
His  wife’s  health  failing,  Mr.  Stanton  removed  to  the 
town  of  Rockton,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  about  one 
mile  from  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  where  he  bought  a  small 
farm,  and  built  himself  a  home,  expecting  to  end  his 
days  there.  The  financial  storm  of  1857  changed  his 
plans;  and,  his  wife’s  health  having  improved,  he  looked 
forward  to  leaving  a  climate  which  he  had  never  liked. 
He  remained  in  Rockton  and  Beloit,  occupied  in  farming, 
banking,  and  general  mercantile  busine.ss  until  the  year 
1867,  when,  with  his  family,  he  moved  to  Ionia,  where 
he  still  resides.  Since  coming  to  Ionia,  he  has  been  en¬ 
gaged  in  manufacturing  and  selling  lumber.  After  an 
active  business  life  of  forty  years,  hig  reputation  for  busi¬ 
ness  integrity  stands  unquestioned.  He  has  always  been 
able  to  pay  one  hundred  cents  on  a  dollar ;  has  never  had 
a  judgment  rendered  against  him,  except  once  in  his  early 
life ;  and  has  never  had  a  note  of  his  making  protested 
for  non-payment.  In  October,  1838,  he  received  a  com¬ 
mission  from  William  E.  Marcy,  then  Governor  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  Quartermaster  of  the  37th  Brigade 
of  Infantry,  on  the  staff  of  Brigadier-General  William 
Salesbury.  This  position  he  held  four  years,  when  he 
resigned.  December  24,  1861,  being  then  in  Springfield, 
Illinois,  he  received  a  commission  from  General  Richard 
Yates,  as  his  temporary  Military  Aid,  and  was  detailed 
to  visit  the  several  regiments  and  detached  companies  of 
the  volunteers  of  Illinois,  under  instructions  from  Allen 
C.  Fuller,  Adjutant-General  of  the  State.  In  this  capac¬ 
ity,  he  visited  the  Illinois  regiments  in  the  Department 
of  North  Missouri.  His  principal  duties  were  to  see  the 
troops  provided  with  the  necessary  arms,  clothing,  medi¬ 
cine,  camp  and  garrison  equipments,  etc.,  and  to  supply 
all  deficiencies.  While  at  Greenville,  Greene  County, 
New  York,  he  held  the  office  of  Trustee,  and  Secretary 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  of  Greenville  Academy;  he 
also  represented  that  town  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
of  Greene  County,  holding  the  office  for  two  years.  He 
was  honored  with  a  similar  position  at  Angelica,  Alle¬ 
ghany  County,  being  a  member  of  the  Board  for  two 
years,  and  the  last  year  acting  as  chairman  of  that  body. 
After  his  removal  to  Rockton,  Illinois,  the  people  soon 
called  him  to  serve  in  official  positions,  electing  him, 
without  opposition,  to  represent  them  on  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  Winnebago  County,  for  the  years  1862, 
63-64.  Always  a  public-spirited  and  enterprising  citi¬ 
zen,  the  peojde  of  Ionia  were  not  slow  to  recognize 
his  character,  and  called  on  him  accordingly.  In 
July,  1872,  a  company  was  organized  to  build  a  railroad 
from  Ionia  to  Stanton,  in  Montcalm  County,  and  Mr. 
Stanton  was  elected  a  Director,  and  its  first  Secretary 
and  Treasurer.  His  connection  with  the  road,  in  those 
positions,  lasted  until  its  consolidation  with  the  De¬ 
troit,  Eansing  and  Fake  Michigan  Railroad  Company, 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


I17 


November  30,  1S72.  He  took  a  lively  interest  in  the 
completion  of  the  railroad,  taking  upon  himself  many 
arduous  duties  and  weighty  responsibilities.  As  an 
officer  of  the  company,  he  proved  himself  a  capable, 
efficient,  and  faithful  servant,  as  well  as  a  straight¬ 
forward,  energetic,  and  enthusiastic  business  man.  Mr. 
Stanton  was  connected  with  the  Democratic  party  until 
1856,  when  he  became  a  Republican.  He  married,  at 
Greenville,  Greene  County,  New  York,  .September  2, 
1840,  Mary,  daughter  of  Newman  Sanford,  of  that  place. 
Her  eldest  brother,  Mitchell,  was  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
that  State,  and  was,  for  four  years.  State  Senator  from 
the  district  comprising  Schoharie,  Greene,  and  Delaware 
Counties.  Her  eldest  sister,  Abatha,  was  the  wife  of  the 
late  Erastus  Boems,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  New  York, 
and  a  partner  of  Lucius  Robinson,  the  present  Governor 
of  New  York  State.  Another  sister,  Sally,  is  widow  of 
the  late  Cyril  Blain,  at  the  time  of  his  death  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Angelica,  New  York. 
Two  other  brothers  of  Mrs.  Stanton  are  Judge  Sanford, 
.of  Middletown,  New  York,  and  Newman  .Sanford,  de¬ 
ceased,  of  Springport,  Jackson  County,  Michigan.  Mr. 
Stanton,  though  not  professedly  a  Christian,  attends  the 
services  of  the  Episcopal  Church ;  his  wife  has  been  a 
member  of  that  denomination  for  twenty-five  years.  His 
mother,  who  makes  her  home  with  him,  has  reached  the 
ripe  age  of  eighty-four.  Her  family  are  remarkable  for 
their  longevity,  as  she  has  living  three  sisters  aged 
respectively  ninety-two,  seventy-five,  and  seventy-three 
years,  and  two  brothers  that  have  reached  the  ages  of 
eighty-eight  and  eighty-five. 

- ,0, - 

Stearns,  GEORGE  L.,  Manufacturer,  of  Grand 
Haven,  was  the  son  of  Asa  and  Anna.  (Padcock ) 
Stearns,  and  was  born  in  Amsterdam,  Montgom¬ 
ery  County,  New  York,  January  22,  1832.  Pie  attended 
school  a  short  time,  where  he  obtained  a  limited  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  elementary  branches  of  study.  He  has 
educated  himself  by  reading  and  observation,  and  is 
now  a  man  of  much  learning.  His  father  was  a  noted 
mechanic,  and  owned  a  factory,  the  management  of 
which,  on  account  of  poor  health,  he  gave  to  his  son, 
when  the  latter  was  but  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  1853 
Mr.  Stearns  became  a  contractor  and  builder  in  Mont¬ 
gomery  and  Schoharie  counties.  New  York;  and,  in 
1856,  in  Waukesha  County,  Wisconsin,  wdiere  his  parents 
had  recently  removed.  In  the  spring  of  1858,  he  mar¬ 
ried  Miss  Mary  E.  Snyder.  In  1862  he_  enlisted  in  the 
67th  Illinois  Regiment,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
in  the  same  year.  He  immediately  went  to  Appleton, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  engaged  in  carrying  on  a  furniture 
factory.  Two  weeks  later,  the  building  was  consumed 
by  fire;  but  he  took  another,  and  continued  the  busi¬ 


ness  for  some  time.  After  giving  up  this  occupation, 
he  removed  to  Whitewater,  Wisconsin,  and  was  very 
successful  until  he  again  lost  his  property  by  fire. 
About  this  time,  his  wife  died,  leaving  three  sons  to 
their  father’s  care.  He  then  removed  to  Iowa,  where 
he  engaged  in  canvassing.  In  1868  he  married  the 
sister  of  his  former  wife,  at  Cedar  Ealls,  Black  Hawk 
County,  Iowa.  During  the  next  four  years,  he  had 
continual  struggles  with  fortune,  through  which  he  pre¬ 
served  the  strictest  integrity.  In  the  spring  of  1874,  he 
removed  to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  and  entered  into 
business  with  the  firm  of  Chaffe  &  Stearns.  Soon  after, 
Mr.  Chaffe  sold  his  interest,  and  the  firm  became 
Stearns  Brothers,  sash,  door,  and  blind  manufacturers. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Stearns  is  a  Republican.  His  religious 
views  are  liberal,  and  are  the  result  of  deep  thought 
and  earnest  inquiry.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of 
Odd-Fellows  and  of  the  Masonic  P’raternity,  and  lives 
consistently  in  accordance  with  their  exemplary  precepts. 
He  is  of  a  genial  nature,  and  has  an  inexhaustible 
fund  of  wit.  Pie  is  a  thorough,  reliable,  business  man  ; 
working  with  energy  and  zeal,  and  has  the  respect  of 
the  entire  community. 

- KX - 

STEYENSON,  Mx\JOR  T.  G.,  of  Ionia,  was  born 
in  that  city  July  26,  1842.  His  father,  John 
vtviV'-  Stevenson,  was  born  in  England,  and  came  to 
America  in  1831.  He  settled  in  Ionia  in  1S36,  being 
one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  Grand  River  Yalley. 
He  is  a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church ;  a  man  of  great  piety  and  strict  integrity,  and 
is  universally  respected  and  beloved.  His  wife,  Jean 
Stevenson,  was  born  in  Scotland.  She  is  a  most  estima¬ 
ble  woman.  Mr.  Thomas  Stevenson,  their  second  son, 
grew  to  manhood  in  Ionia,  in  which  place  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  'He  received  a  common-school  education, 
and  early  learned  the  printing  business,  obtaining  the 
knowledge  at  odd  hours  out  of  school  time.  Before  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  had  earned,  by  work¬ 
ing  in  the  printing-office  of  the  Ionia  Gazette,  sufficient 
money  to  pay  his  expenses  for  two  years  at  the  Ypsilanti 
Seminary.  He  thus  fitted  himself  for  a  regular  course 
at  the  State  University,  but  the  war  changed  his  plans; 
and,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  enlisted  in  the  21st 
Michigan  Infantry.  He  was  immediately  appointed 
Sergeant-Major  of  the  regiment;  and,  in  less  than  eigh¬ 
teen  months,  was  successively  jiromoted  to  Second  Lieu¬ 
tenant,  First  Lieutenant,  and  Captain.  He  was  with 
his  regiment  in  the  battles  of  J’erryville,  Stone  River, 
Chickamauga,  Averysboro,  Bentonville,  and  in  many 
minor  battles  and  skirmishes,  distinguishing  himself  by 
his  coolness  and  bravery.  When  General  Sherman’s 
army  cut  loose  from  its  base  of  supplies  at  Atlanta, 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


1 18 


Captain  Stevenson  was  appointed  Adjutant-General  of  a 
newly  organized  brigade.  lie  served  in  that  capacity 
on  the  march  to  the  sea,  and  through  the  Carolinas  to 
Washington,  where  he  took  part  in  the  grand  review. 
At  the  end  of  his  service,  his  meritorious  conduct 
gained  him  the  brevet  of  Major.  On  his  return  home, 
his  thoughts  naturally  turned  to  journalism;  and,  in 
May,  1866,  in  company  with  his  present  partner,  Captain 
J.  C.  Taylor,  an  old  school-mate  and  army  companion, 
he  began  the  publication  of  the  Ionia  Sentinel,  a  Repub¬ 
lican  weekly  journal.  With  the  exception  of  two  years 
spent  in  Colorado  and  California,  he  has  given  his  time 
to  its  management;  and,  with  Captain  Taylor,  has  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  building  up  one  of  the  best  weekly  papers  in 
Michigan.  Major  Stevenson  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Fraternity.  Pie  is  a  strong  Republican,  and  takes  a 
prominent  part  in  local  and  State  politics.  He  was 
married,  June  24,  1874,  to  Hannah  C.  Blanchard,  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Hon.  John  Blanchard,  of  Ionia,  a  beautiful  and 
highly  esteemed  lady.  Major  Stevenson’s  address  is 
pleasing;  his  disposition  frank  and  genial.  As  a  citi¬ 
zen,  he  is  wide-awake  and  liberal,  and  wields  a  strong 
influence  over  the  young  men  of  his  class  and  party. 
He  is  an  enterprising  business  man,  a  tireless  worker, 
yet  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  all  genuine  and  healthful 
amusements.  Since  the  war,  he  has  traveled  extensively 
in  the  Southern  States,  and  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  is 
a  pleasant  companion,  a  good  citizen,  and  a  true  friend. 


^TORRS,  HON.  WALES  FISPIER,  Manufacturer, 
'sTNlt  Grasid  Haven,  was  born  in  Westport,  Essex  County, 
New  York,  January  19,  1816.  He  is  the  second  son 
of  Elijah  and  Julia  (Holcomb)  Storrs.  His  mother,  a  na¬ 
tive  of  New  England,  was  of  Puritan  descent.  Plis  father 
was  born  in  Mansfield,  Connecticut,  the  old  home  of  the 
Storrs  family.  He  held  a  commission  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  fought  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg.  He  and 
his  wife  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and  are  buried  in 
Lakeside  Cemetery,  near  the  city  of  Grand  Haven.  Mr. 
W.  F.  Storrs  attended  the  common  schools,  and  studied 
carefully  at  home.  In  1834,  with  his  parents,  he  moved 
to  Portage  County,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  on  his  father’s 
farm  until  the  autumn  of  1836.  At  that  time,  he  mar¬ 
ried  Elizabeth  Cranmer,  and  afterwards  taught  school 
for  several  years ;  he  was  eminently  .successful,  doing 
much  to  elevate  the  standard  of  popular  education  in 
the  county.  In  the  fall  of  1859  he  removed  to  Ottawa 
County,  Michigan,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
in  which  he  has  since  spent  most  of  his  time.  In  1866 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  county  in  the  Lower 
House  of  the  State  Legislature,  and,  in  1870,  he  was 
elected  to  the  Senate.  In  1872  a  renomination  was  ten¬ 
dered,  but  he  declined  to  accept  it.  Being  too  old  to 


serve  as  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  he  provided  a  substi¬ 
tute,  and,  by  every  means  in  his  power,  sought  to  aid 
his  country.  Both  by  precept  and  example,  he  has  up¬ 
held  the  cause  of  temperance  and  reform.  His  conduct 
is  always  marked  by  liberality  and  strict  integrity.  Mr. 
Storrs  was  a  Whig  until  1854,  when  he  joined  the  Re¬ 
publican  party,  of  whose  principles  he  has  since  been  a 
firm  advocate.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  united  with 
the  Congregational  Church,  and  has  always  maintained 
a  consistent  Christian  character.  He  is  now  an  elder  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Grand  Haven.  His 
wife  died  in  1866,  and,  in  1868,  he  married  Edna  L. 
Niles,  of  Broome  County,  New  York.  His  only  son, 
Cassius  Percival,  died  in  1877,  leaving  a  young  son  and 
daughter. 


^^MITH,  GEORGE  D.,  Muskegon,  was  born  at 
Nev/  Marlborough,  Berkshire  County,  Massachu- 
setts,  June  27,  1838.  His  father,  George  C. 
Smith,  was  elected  State  Representative  In  1837.  He 
removed  from  Massachusetts  to  Connecticut,  in  April, 
1842;  and  thence  to  Ohio,  in  August,  1843.  Octo¬ 
ber,  1845,  the  family  went  to  Pennsylvania,  where  they 
remained  until  the  following  April.  They  then  returned 
to  Ohio,  whence  they  removed  to  Michigan,  and  settled 
in  the  village  of  Allegan,  where  Mr.  Smith  received  a 
good  business  education.  Leaving  school  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  Mr.  Smith  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  mer¬ 
cantile  establishment  in  Allegan,  and  remained  for  thir¬ 
teen  years.  Desiring  a  change  of  employment,  he  was 
induced  by  some  railway  contractors  to  engage  with 
them,  as  book-keeper  and  pay-master,  for  several  years. 
In  1872  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Muskegon,  Michigan, 
where  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Muskegon  Booming 
Company,  as  their  acting  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Pie 
still  holds  the  position.  In  the  years  1870-71  he  was 
elected  village  Clerk  and  Treasurer  of  Allegan;  he  was 
also  Township  Clerk  at  the  same  time.  Mr.  Smith  is 
prominently  connected  with  all  public  enterprises  that 
are  designed  to  favor  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the 
city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and 
is  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  He  married,  December  15, 
1864,  Helen  A.  Weeks,  of  Allegan,  Michigan. 


#TONE,  JOHN  W.,  Lawyer,  was  born  in  Wads- 
■  worth,  Medina  County,  Ohio,  July  18,  1838.  His 
father,  Chauncey  Stone,  is  a  farmer,  and  a  local 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Dorr, 
Allegan  County,  Michigan.  His  mother  is  Sarah,  daugh¬ 
ter  of  John  Bird,  of  Vermont.  Mr.  Stone  acquired  his 
early  education  at  the  district  schools  of  Medina  County, 
Ohio,  and  afterwards  attended,  for  two  years,  a  select 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


I19 


school  taught  by  W.  W.  Ross,  at  Spencer,  Ohio.  In 
the  spring  of  1856,  he  came  to  Michigan,  and  taught 
school  for  four  winters.  In  i860  he  began  the  study  of 
law,  in  the  office  of  Silas  Stafford,  at  Martin,  Allegan 
County.  In  the  same  year,  he  was  elected  County  Clerk 
of  Allegan  County,  and  was  re-elected  in  1862.  While 
discharging  the  duties  of  this  office,  he  still  continued 
the  study  of  law,  and,  in  1862,  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
In  1864  he  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Allegan 
County,  and  held  the  office  for  six  years.  In  January, 
1865,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  D.  J.  Arnold,  who 
is  now  Judge  of  the  Twentieth  Circuit  of  Michigan.  This 
business  relation  was  continued  until  Mr.  Stone  was 
elected  Circuit  Judge,  in  April,  1873.  held  the  office 
until  November,  1874,  when  he  tendered  his  resigna¬ 
tion,  and  entered  the  law  firm  of  Norris  &  Blair,  of  Grand 
Rapids.  In  November,  1875,  Mr.  Norris  retired  from 
the  firm,  and  the  two  remaining  members  formed  a  part¬ 
nership  with  Williard  Kingsley,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Blair,  Stone  &  Kingsley.  This  firm  jDossesses  one  of  the 
finest  law  libraries  in  the  State.  Judge  Stone  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  twenty- 
two  years,  and  is  one  of  its  active  workers.  In  1872  he 
was  a  delegate  to  the  General  Conference,  held  at 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  also  to  the  Conference  which 
was  held  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  1876.  Judge  Stone 
was  elected  to  Congress  in  1876  from  the  Fifth  Con¬ 
gressional  District  of  Michigan.  He  is  a  Republican. 
In  1861  he  was  married  to  Delia  M.  Grover,  daughter 
of  A.  P.  Grover.  They  have  four  children.  In  present¬ 
ing  a  case  to  a  jury.  Judge  Stone  has  a  very  happy 
manner.  He  shows  a  ready  and  comprehensive  grasp 
of  his  causes,  and  at  once  inspires  confidence  in  his 
ability  and  fairness. 

- - - 

&5UIER,  JOHN  W.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
was  born  October  4,  1799.  Plis  early  life  was 
'vKvxs'-  passed  in  New  Jersey.  In  1836  Mr.  Squier  re¬ 
moved  to  Farmington,  Michigan,  where  he  became 
engaged,  as  afterwards  at  Saline,  in  the  business  of 
wool-carding  and  cloth-dressing.  In  the  early  days  of 
Grand  Rapids,  he  came  to  that  city,  and,  with  his 
brother-in-law,  D.  C.  Lawrence,  built  the  old  stone  mill, 
which  has  long  been  one  of  the  landmarks,  and  which 
was  burned  in  1862.  In  order  to  obtain  the  necessary 
mill  stones,  he  went  to  Jackson,  built  a  scow,  loaded  it 
with  the  stones,  and  floated  it  down  to  Grand  Rapids. 
At  one  time,  having  sold  his  dry-goods  store  for  a  mill, 
which  many  of  the  old  settlers  remember  as  standing 
just  below  Jericho,  he  carried  on  a  large  lumber  busi¬ 
ness.  Mr.  Squier  was  largely  instrumental  in  bringing 
the  best  theatrical  talent  to  his  city,  by  erecting  the 
opera-house,  finished  in  1859,  and  opened  by  T.  Sher¬ 


lock,  of  Detroit.  Since  that  time,  many  of  the  most 
renowned  actors  have  been  engaged;  among  others, 
Edwin  Forrest  and  H.  Lanagan.  The  opera-house 
burned,  May  8,  1872,  and  was  rebuilt  the  same  year. 
The  pioneers  of  Michigan  remember  with  gratitude  the 
liberality  and  thoughtfulness  of  Mr.  Squier.  His  re¬ 
ligion, —  “to  give  to  him  that  needeth,”  —  was  faithfully 
carried  out;  he  was  at  all  times  ready  to  give  both 
counsel  and  material  aid.  Pie  was,  as  his  success  in  life 
has  demonstrated,  a  man  of  fine  business  ability,  and 
energy.  In  his  family,  he  was  ever  the  kind  helper  and 
counselor,  and  he  will  always  be  remembered  by  his 
fellow-citizens  as  a  public  benefactor.  In  1824  Mr. 
Squier  married  Miss  Mary  Lawrence,  at  Pen  Van,  New 
York.  He  died,  October  3,  1874,  leaving  a  wife,  three 
sons, —  Samuel,  John,  and  D.  D., —  and  three  daugh¬ 
ters, —  Mrs.  Grinnell  (a  sketch  of  whose  husband  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work),  Mrs.  Ashley,  and  Mrs.  Evans. 
[See  sketch  of  Henry  Grinnell.] 

- K>« - 

SUTHERLAND,  REV.  JOHN  ROSS,  Pastor  of 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Grand  Haven,  was 
born  in  Oxford  County,  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the 
7th  of  November,  1846.  His  parents  came  from  Scot¬ 
land,  and  settled  in  Quebec,  in  1833.  Here  his  father 
remained  for  some  time,  in  the  employ  of  the  Provincial 
Government,  engaged  in  the  erection  of  what  was  then 
called  the  New  Fort.  After  its  completion  he  removed, 
with  his  family,  to  the  western  province,  and  resided 
for  about  a  year  at  Toronto, —  then  called  Little  York. 
He  then  settled  on  a  farm  which  he  had  bought  in  Ox¬ 
ford  County,  about  one  hundred  miles  west  of  Toronto. 
Mr.  John  Sutherland  was  the  youngest  of  seven  children, 
two  daughters  and  five  sons.  Four  of  the  sons  studied 
professions, —  two  becoming  physicians,  and  two  clergy¬ 
men.  Mr.  Sutherland’s  early  education  was  received  in 
Woodstock  and  Toronto,  Canada.  His  tastes  were  of  a 
literary  character,  and  led  to  his  receiving,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  an  appointment  upon  one  of  the  provincial 
papers.  He  thus  became  the  youngest  journalist  in  the 
Dominion  of  Canada;  and,  probably,  the  youngest  on  the 
continent.  His  parents  were  both  honored  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  his  father  having  been  deacon 
for  upwards  of  thirty  years.  They  gave  their  son  a  re¬ 
ligious  training  from  his  infancy,  but  he  manifested  no 
desire  to  follow  in  their  footsteps.  In  1868,  however,  he 
experienced  an  intense  religious  conviction,  which  im¬ 
pelled  him  to  relinquish  journalism  and  enter  the  min¬ 
istry.  He,  accordingly,  resumed  his  studies  in  Knox 
College,  Toronto.  In  1870  he  entered  Auburn  Theo¬ 
logical  Seminary,  where  he  spent  one  year;  and,  in  the 
spring  of  1873,  completed  his  course  of  study  at  the 
Theological  Seminary  of  the  North-west,  at  Chicago, 


130 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


His  record  in  the  seminary,  for  general  proficiency  and 
preaching  ability,  was  unusually  high.  He  was  licensed 
to  preach  by  the  Presbytery  of  Chicago,  in  the  spring 
of  1872.  Immediately  after  graduating  he  was  called  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  Eighth  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana.  While  there,  many  of  his  ser¬ 
mons  were  published  in  the  city  papers,  attracting  con¬ 
siderable  attention,  and  receiving  favorable  comment. 
The  climate  of  that  locality  was  unfavorable  to  his 
health  and  compelled  him  to  resign.  He  then  accepted 
a  call  to  the  I'irst  Presbyterian  Church  of  Grand  Plaven, 
Michigan.  Plis  labors  here  have  been  signally  blessed, 
the  membership  having  almost  doubled  since  the  com¬ 
mencement  of  his  pastorate.  Mr.  Sutherland  married,  in 
the  fall  of  1874,  Miss  Adelia  M.  Atkin,  of  New  York 
City.  He  is  a  forcible  speaker;  a  clear,  logical  reasoner, 
and  his  sermons  give  evidence  of  careful  study.  He 
seeks  not  so  much  to  interest  and  please,  as  to  force 
home  to  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his  hearers  some  sound 
Gospel  truth. 

- - 

SWEET,  HON.  MARTIN  L.,  Banker,  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Paris,  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  on  the  21st  of  P'ebruary, 
1819,  his  parents  having  removed  there  from  their  native 
place  in  New  England.  After  receiving  a  common- 
school  education,  he  worked  in  a  flour-mill,  owned  by 
his  father,  until  he  had  saved  nine  hundred  dollars. 
On  the  death  of  his  father,  which  occurred  when  he 
was  but  fourteen  years  old,  he  decided  to  go  to  Chicago, 
and  made  the  trip  from  Detroit  by  steamboat  in  eleven 
days.  Not  finding  a  satisfactory  object  in  which  to 
invest  his  money,  he  returned  to  his  native  village,  and 
to  his  work  in  the  mill,  where  he  remained  until  he 
attained  his  twentieth  year.  During  the  following  three 
years,  he  engaged  in  business  elsewhere  in  New  York, 
and  in  Ohio.  In  1842  he  went  to  Michigan,  and,  for  the 
subsequent  four  years,  was  employed  in  charge  of  mills 
at  Ann  Arbor,  Dexter,  and  Delhi.  At  the  latter  place, 
he  built  a  mill  for  himself,  and  lived  there  until  1846. 
In  January  of  that  year,  he  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  and 
there,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Clemens,  bought  what 
was  then  known  as  the  “Old  Mill,”  the  charred  skele¬ 
ton  of  which  may  yet  be  seen  as  it  was  left  after  the 
fire  in  1876.  In  the  July  following,  he  disposed  of  his 
property  at  Delhi,  and  removed  his  family  to  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  has  distin¬ 
guished  himself  as  an  enterprising  and  public-spirited 
citizen.  In  1853  Mr.  Sweet  built  the  Grand  Rapids 
City  Mills.  He  controlled  the  grain  business  in  Grand 
River  Valley  for  several  years;  some  of  his  transactions 
amounting  to  more  than  a  million  dollars,  and  his  man¬ 
ufactures  for  the  Eastern  markets  to  more  than  fifty 
thousand  barrels  of  flour.  He  retained  a  large  interest 


in  the  City  Mills  until  the  close  of  1867,  when  he  sold 
out,  and  disconnected  himself  with  the  business.  At 
that  time  there  was  no  first-class'  hotel  in  the  city,  and 
the  popular  opinion  fixed  upon  Mr.  Sweet  as  the  gen¬ 
tleman  who  had  the  means  and  enterprise  to  erect  one. 
The  ground  selected  was,  however,  very  unfavorable;  as 
a  deep  and  rapid  arm  of  the  river  swept  through  it,  and 
made  necessary,  in  obtaining  a  foundation,  an  amount  of 
labor  and  expense  sufficient  to  complete  an  ordinary 
building  of  similar  character.  But,  wdth  that  indomi¬ 
table  spirit  which  he  has  ever  manifested,  Mr.  Sweet 
overcame  all  difficulties.  He  turned  the  river  out  of 
its  course,  and  in  its  bed  laid  the  foundations  of  a  build¬ 
ing  nearly  one-third  the  size  of  an  ordinary  city  block. 
Upon  this  he  erected  a  superstructure  four  stories  and 
a  half  in  height,  of  a  style  of  architecture  admirably 
suited  to  its  purpose,  with  accommodations  for  hun¬ 
dreds  of  guests ;  and,  on  the  ground  floor,  offices  and 
stores  for  the  business  of  the  hotel  and  other  purposes. 
The  construction  of  this  hotel  presented,  in  the  course  of 
its  erection,  obstacles  so  formidable  as  to  discourage 
any  ordinary  man;  but  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  not 
an  ordinary  man.  After  three  years  of  nearly  constant 
labor,  at  an  expense  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  the  “Sweet  Blouse,”  as  it  is  usually  called,  was 
ready  for  the  reception  of  the  public ;  and,  in  Septem¬ 
ber,  1869,  was  opened  by  Lawrence  &  French,  of  Adrian, 
Michigan.  But  it  was  not  yet  satisfactory  to  its  tireless 
and  exacting  builder.  Becoming  convinced,  after  a 
lapse  of  three  years,  that  the  position  of  the  ground- 
floor,  on  the  level  of  the  streets  which  the  building 
fronts,  would  be  a  disadvantage  when  those  streets  were 
raised,  Mr.  Sweet  resolved  to  have  the  whole  structure 
lifted  nearly  five  feet  above  its  original  elevation.  This, 
with  other  improvements,  he  happily  accomplished  in 
1872,  at  an  expense  of  forty  thousand  dollars.  In  I^eb- 
ruary,  1872,  a  fire  partially  destroyed  his  hotel,  and 
caused,  for  a  time,  the  suspension  of  its  business.  It 
was  rebuilt  by  the  proprietor,  however,  and  re-opened  in 
the  following  May.  At  the  present  time  it  divides  with 
the  Morton  House  all  the  first-class  business  of  the  city. 
In  1861,  on  the  suspension  of  Daniel  Ball  &  Co.,  bank¬ 
ers,  Mr.  Sw'eet  purchased  their  establishment  and  en¬ 
gaged  in  banking.  He  was  assisted  by  Mr.  H.  J. 
Hollister,  the  present  cashier  of  the  first  National  Bank 
of  Grand  Rapids,  and  his  own  eldest  son,  then  a  youth 
of  fourteen  years.  Three  years  afterwards,  he  merged 
this  bank  into  the  First  National,  of  which  he  became  a 
stockholder  to  the  extent  of  half  of  its  capital.  In  1872 
Mr.  Sweet  built,  at  Ludington,  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  in  Mason  County,  saw-mills 'of  such  capacity, 
that,  under  the  superintendence  of  his  eldest  son,  they 
turn  out  fourteen  million  feet  of  lumber  each  year.  He 
also  owns  large  tracts  of  pine  lands  in  Mason,  Newaygo, 
Oceana,  and  Lake  counties,  in  Michigan;  and  possesses. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


I2I 


in  fee-simple,  three  farms,  aggregating  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres,  principally  good  land,  which  he  cultivates 
successfully.  On  the  20th  of  July,  1844,  at  Rome,  New 
York,  Mr.  Sweet  married  Miss  Desdemona  S.,  daughter 
of  Mr.  Phineas  C.  Higgins,  Baldwinsville,  New  York. 
They  have  a  daughter  and  two  sons,  all  of  whom  have 
grown  to  maturity.  The  eldest  son  controls  his  father’s 
large  lumber  business  and  landed  interests  in  the  north¬ 
western  part  of  the  State.  The  second  son  is  a  lawyer, 
of  fine  education,  having  finished  his  studies  in  Ger¬ 
many.  The  daughter  is  Mrs.  R.  J.  Mitchell,  of  Grand 
Rapids.  In  politics,  Mr.  Sweet  is  a  Republican.  He 
was  the  first  Mayor  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  in 
the  city  of  his  residence.  He  has  also  served  as  Aider- 
man  of  his  ward;  but  latterly  has  declined  all  nomina- 
tipns  for  office,  as  his  private  business  is  quite  sufficient 
to  occupy  his  time.  He  was  educated  a  Presbyterian, 
and  became,  in  early  manhood,  a  Congregationalist. 
He  has  been  a  trustee  of  that  church  at  Grand  Rapids 
sixteen  years.  As  a  gentleman  of  public  spirit,  no  one 
.is  held  in  higher  esteem  than  Mr.  Sweet;  especially 
among  those  who  know  him  best,  and  have  witnessed 
his  efforts  for  the  advancement  of  Grand  Rapids.  Pie 
was  the  first  to  introduce  into  the  city  stone  flagging 
for  sidewalks,  in  preference  to  the  plank  that  was 
cheaper  and  more  conveniently  obtained;  and  was  also 
the  first  to  use  large  and  heavy  plate-glass  wherever  it 
could  be  satisfactorily  employed.  During  the  thirty 
years  of  his  business  life  in  Grand  Rapids,  his  helping 
hand  has  been  extended  to  all  worthy  charitable  objects; 
towards  the  construction  of  the  various  church  build¬ 
ings,  and  to  railroads  and  all  enterprises  which  have  so 
largely  contributed  to  the  prosperity  of  the  place.  Aided 
in  no  slight  measure  by  the  sound  sense  and  womanly 
insight  of  his  faithful  helpmeet,  he  has  won  the  friend¬ 
ship  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has  had 
business  or  social  intercourse.  Although  in  advanced 
middle  age,  he  may  be  found  daily,  at  an  early  hour,  in 
his  office,  completing,  with  the  aid  of  his  son,  the  busi¬ 
ness  of  the  previous  day.  He  is  abstemious  in  his 
habits,  and  has  so  mastered  his  far  from  robust  consti¬ 
tution,  that,  to  the  present  time,  it  has  but  once  or 
twice  failed  him.  Mr.  Sweet  is  in  every  way  worthy  to 
be  called  a  public  benefactor,  and  an  eminent,  self-made 
man. 


?#TEARNS,  LOWTON  B.,  of  Grand  Haven,  son  of 
and  Anna  (Padcock)  Stearns,  was  born  in  Am- 
sterdam.  New  York,  March  ii,  1837.'  He  attended, 
for  a  short  time,  the  common  schools  of  his  native  village; 
and,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  harness-maker.  He  served  one  year,  and  be¬ 
came  somewhat  skillful.  In  1855  he  removed  to  Wisconsin. 
In  1859  he  visited  Pike’s  Peak;  and,  on  his  return,  en¬ 


gaged  in  farm  work  in  Waukesha,  Wisconsin.  In  1862 
he  enlisted  in  the  army,  and  served  until  1865,  when  he 
was  mustered  out.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  was  suc¬ 
cessfully  engaged  in  contracting  and  building  in  White 
Water,  Wisconsin.  In  1873  he  removed  to  Grand 
Haven,  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Chaffe  & 
Stearns,  manufacturers  of  sashes,  doors,  blinds,  etc. 
They  carried  on  a  profitable  business.  In  1875  M'"- 
Stearns  and  his  brother  purchased  Mr.  Chaffe’s  interest, 
and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Stearns  Brothers. 
Under  their  judicious  management,  the  business  has 
rapidly  increased,  and,  for  fine  workmanship  and  relia¬ 
bility,  admits  but  little  competition.  March  23,  1864, 
Mr.  Stearns  was  married  to  Frances  Caroline  Payne, 
daughter  of  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  Aztalan,  Jeffer¬ 
son  County,  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Stearns  is  a  Republican, 
but  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  politics.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  society  of  Odd-Fellows,  and  also  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor.  He  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
and  strict  integrity,  and  is  highly  respected  by  his  as¬ 
sociates. 

- Kx - 


STOUGHTON,  GENERAL  WILLIAM  L.,  Law¬ 
yer,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  is  a  native  of  Ban¬ 
gor,  New  York,  and  was  born  March  20,  1827. 
He  acquired  his  education  at  Kirtland,  Painesville,  and 
Madison  Academies,  in  Ohio.  In  1847  he  began  the 
study  of  law,  in  the  office  of  S.  B.  Axtell,  at  Painesville, 
Ohio;  he  continued  his  law  studies  with  Hon.  John  B. 
Howe,  of  Lima,  Indiana,  and  also  with  Smith  &  Upson, 
of  Centreville,  Michigan,  until  the  year  1851,  when 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Michigan.  In  1855  he  was  elected  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  was  re-elected  in  1857  ;  in  March,  1861, 
he  was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  United 
States  District-Attorney  for  the  District  of  Michigan. 
He  served  until  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  when  he 
resigned  his  position,  and  entered  the  army  as  Lieuten¬ 
ant-Colonel  of  the  nth  Michigan  Infantry.  On  April  i, 
1862,  he  was  appointed  Colonel,  and  served  throughout 
the  war  as  Colonel  and  Brigadier-General.  At  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  was  made  Brevet  Major-General,  “for 
gallantry  in  the  field.”  He  commanded  a  regiment  at 
the  battle  of  Stone  River,  and,  in  the  official  reports,  he 
was  especially  mentioned  for  bravery  in  holding  his  posi¬ 
tion,  and  for  a  charge  made  into  the  cedars,  to  cover  the 
retreat  of  the  right  flank  of  the  army.  He  commanded 
a  brigade  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  was  one 
of  the  last  officers  to  leave  the  field  with  his  command. 
Pie  withdrew,  after  dark,  to  Rossville,  where,  by  direc¬ 
tion  of  General  Thomas,  he  took  a  position  on  the  hills, 
covering  the  approach  to  Chattanooga,  and  held  it  against 
the  attack  of  the  enemy  until  the  following  night.  In 
the  meantime,  it  had  been  decided  to  withdraw  the 


122 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


whole  army  to  Chattanooga  and  fortify  that  position.  In 
pursuance  of  this  plan,  General  Stoughton  was  ordered 
to  send  back  his  entire  command,  with  the  rest  of  the 
army,  and  take  charge  of  four  regiments  on  picket  duty, 
covering  the  entire  front  of  the  army.  At  night,  the 
artillery  wheels  were  muffled,  and  the  whole  army  moved 
silently  away.  He  remained  until  daybreak,  when  he 
withdrew  the  picket  line,  and  reached  Chattanooga 
without  the  loss  of  a  single  man.  As  the  result  of  this 
operation,  the  Union  army  had  ample  time  to  go  into 
position  and  erect  substantial  field-works  before  the 
enemy  approached  in  force.  General  Stoughton  also 
commanded  a  brigade  at  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge, 
which  was  composed  of  four  regiments  of  regulars,  and 
two  regiments  of  volunteers, —  the  nth  Michigan  Infantry 
and  the  19th  Illinois  Infantry.  He  had  command  of  the 
same  brigade  during  the  battles  of  Resaca,  New  Hope 
Church,  and  RufPs  Station ;  at  the  last-named  place, 
after  carrying  one  line  of  the  enemy’s  works,  he  lost  a 
leg  by  a  cannon  shot.  In  August,  1864,  being  unfit  for 
active  duty,  he  returned  to  his  home,  at  Sturgis,  Michi¬ 
gan,  and,  in  1865,  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In  1866 
he  was  elected  Attorney-General  of  the  State  of  Michi¬ 
gan,  and  held  the  office  for  two  years.  In  1868  he  was 
elected  Representative  in  Congress,  from  the  Fourth 
Congressional  District  of  Michigan,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1870.  He  served  with  distinction  on  the  Committee  on 
Military  Affairs,  and  on  that  of  the  Coinage.  Under  his 
leadership  two  bills  were  passed,  equalizing  the  bounties 
of  soldiers.  In  June,  1872,  he  was  appointed  Chairman 
of  the  House  Committee  of  Visitors  to  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point.  In  Congress,  General  Stough¬ 
ton  advocated  what  he  considered  a  Judicious,  national 
economy,  and  attended  thoroughly  to  the  wants  of  his 
own  district.  He  favored  a  financial  policy  which  would 
give  the  country  a  currency  equal  to  its  growing  wants 
and  necessities.  He  opposed  the  withdrawing  of  green¬ 
backs,  until  the  country  was  fully  prepared  to  resume 
specie  payment  by  natural  causes  and  the  laws  of  trade. 
Believing  the  measure  to  be  right,  he  voted  in  favor  of 
increasing  the  salaries  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  members  of 
Congress.  He  married,  December  9,  1856,  Olive  J.  Page, 
daughter  of  David  Page,  an  old  resident  and  prominent 
citizen  of  Sturgis,  Michigan.  They  have  a  family  of  four 
children.  Upon  his  retirement  from  Congress,  he  again 
resumed  the  practice  of  law,  and,  in  May,  1874,  removed 
to  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  has  since  been 
engaged  in  the  active  business  of  his  profession,  holding 
a  prominent  position  at  the  bar.  General  Stoughton’s 
record  as  a  soldier  and  statesman  is  one  of  which  any 
man  might  be  proud;  and  he  is  equally  zealous  and 
useful  in  discharging  the  duties  of  a  private  citizen. 
Bearing  the  marks  of  his  patriotism,  he  will  always  be 
honored  as  one  of  his  country’s  brave  defenders. 


AYLOR,  PROF.  AUGUSTUS  W.,  a  Pioneer 
ItliK  School-teacher  of  Ottawa  County,  was  born  in 
Warren,  Connecticut,  July  16,  1819,  and  was  the 
son  of  Sears  Taylor.  He  received  his  early  education 
in  the  Academy  at  Warren,  and  completed  his  collegiate 
course  at  Williams  College,  Massachusetts.  Being  fond 
of  literary  pursuits,  he  engaged  as  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  at  Warren  in  1835.  Three  years  after,  he  re¬ 
moved  to  Orangeburg,  South  Carolina,  where  he  had 
charge  of  an  academy  one  year.  About  the  year  1840, 
he  returned  to  the  North,  and  taught  eight  years  in  the 
public  schools  of  Erie  County,  New  York.  In  1853  he 
removed  to  Grand  Haven,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching 
two  years.  In  1856  he  was  elected  Judge  of  Probate 
of  Ottawa  County,  and  served  eight  years.  In  1867  he 
was  appointed  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  for 
Ottawa  County,  Michigan,  by  the  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  and  served  in  that  capacity  three 
years.  In  1870  he  became  Principal  of  Spring  Lake 
High  School.  He  has  been  a  worthy  member  of  the 
society  of  Odd-Fellows  for  over  twenty  years.  In  poli¬ 
tics,  he  is  a  Republican.  His  religious  views  are  liberal 
and  rational.  Pie  married,  in  July,  1848,  Miss  Alvira 
Smith,  of  Lancaster,  Erie  County,  New  York.  They 
have  had  two  children, —  a  son  and  a  daughter.  Mr. 
Taylor  is  a  man  of  strict  integrity  and  tireless  energy. 
He  is  modest  and  unassuming,  and  has  a  spotless  repu¬ 
tation.  He  is  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  his 
pupils,  and  occupies  a  high  position  in  the  community. 


f  ATE,  HON.  SAMUEL  LIVINGSTON,  of  Grand 


Haven,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Leeds,  England, 
January  14,  1839.  He  is  the  son  of  Henry  and 
Elizabeth  (Haigh)  Tate.  Plis  father  is  of  Scotch  line¬ 
age,  and  his  mother  is  a  direct  descendant  of  one  of  the 
French  Huguenots  who  fled  to  England  to  escape  the 
Catholic  persecution.  His  parents  emigrated  to  this 
country  in  1842,  and  settled  in  Leyden,  Franklin  County, 
Massachusetts.  Feeble  health  and  loss  of  property 
obliged  his  father  to  practice  the  greatest  economy  in 
rearing  his  family  of  nine  children.  Mr.  Tate,  until  he 
was  fourteen,  attended  the  common  school  in  winter; 
helped  his  father  to  make  boots  and  shoes  after  school 
hours,  and,  in  summer,  worked  for  the  neighboring  farm¬ 
ers.  His  only  opportunities  for  study  and  reading  were 
occasional  spare  hours  in  the  evening.  In  1853  the  fam¬ 
ily  removed  to  Peru,  La  Salle  County,  Illinois,  where  Mr. 
Tate  was  employed  for  two  years  on  the  Chicago  and 
Rock  Island  Railroad.  He  afterwards  worked  on  a 
farm,  until  the  fall  of  1861.  His  desire  for  an  education 
increased  as  he  grew  older;  and,  upon  reaching  his  ma¬ 
jority,  he  went  to  Wheaton  University,  where  he  re¬ 
mained  until  he  had  passed  through  the  sophomore 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


123 


year.  In  order  to  meet  his  expenses,  he  taught  school 
at  intervals,  sold  books,  and  engaged  in  various  other 
occupations.  He  passed  his  junior  year  at  Adrian 
College;  and,  in  1869,  graduated  from  Albion  College. 
Having,  meanwhile,  studied  law,  he  received  his  degree 
of  LL.  B.  at  the  University  of  Chicago  the  same  year. 
The  following  day,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Illinois.  He  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Evansville,  Rock  County,  Wisconsin,  in  the 
fall,  but  removed,  in  1870,  to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan. 
During  the  last  year  of  the  late  Rebellion,  he  served,  as 
Orderly  Sergeant,  in  a  regiment  of  Illinois  volunteers. 
In  1871  he  was  Circuit  Court  Commissioner  and  Injunc¬ 
tion  Master  for  Ottawa  County.  In  1872  he  was  elected 
Judge  of  Probate  for  the  same  county;  and,  on  the  ex¬ 
piration  of  his  term  of  office  in  1876,  was  unanimously 
renominated  and  re-elected.  In  1874  he  was  appointed 
to  the  Common  Council  of  Grand  Haven  to  succeed 
Clark  B.  Albee,  deceased.  Mr.  Tate  was  a  disciple  of 
such  men  as  Greeley,  Sumner,  and  Lovejoy ;  and  sought 
the  first  opportunity  to  engage  in  the  conflict  between  free¬ 
dom  and  slavery.  He  was  a  zealous  worker  in  the  first 
election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  has  since  been  an  active 
Republican.  In  1872  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
State  Convention,  and  was  there  nominated  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Convention  at  Philadelphia.  In  1861  he 
joined  the  Congregational  Church.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  re-organizing  the  Grand  Haven  Congregational 
Church,  and  in  erecting  its  present  beautiful  house  of 
■worship.  He  has  since  been  a  trustee  and  deacon,  and 
has  several  times  been  elected  a  delegate  to  the  General 
Association.  He  married,  June  16,  1869, —  the  day  be¬ 
fore  he  graduated  from  Albion  College, —  Frances  Belle 
Wilcox,  of  Coral,  Illinois,  a  member  of  the  junior  class 
of  the  same  college.  They  have  three  children. 

- - - 


j!|f  AYLOR,  HON.  CHARLES  H.,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
was  born  in  Cooperstown,  New  York,  November 
20,  1813.  In  1817  his  father  removed  to  Roches¬ 
ter,  which  was  then  a  village  of  some  five  or  six  hun¬ 
dred  inhabitants.  He  received  an  ordinary  academic 
education.  In  1836  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich¬ 
igan,  his  father  having  died  seven  years  previously.  At 
that  time  Grand  Rapids  contained  less  than  twenty 
buildings;  here  young  Taylor  settled,  and  identified  him¬ 
self  with  the  interests  of  the  growing  place,  holding 
various  positions  of  trust  and  honor.  He  served  as 
County  Clerk  for  eight  years ;  in  1846  he  was  elected  to 
the  Legislature,  and  was  re-eleeted  in  1847.  HI®  was 
appointed,  by  Governor  Ransom,  one  of  the  five  Asylum 
Commissioners;  the  others  being  Chancellor  Farnsworth, 
of  Detroit;  Hon.  Charles  E.  Stewart,  of  Kalamazoo; 
John  P.  Cook,  of  Hillsdale;  and  Charles  C.  Haskell,  of  | 


Flint.  This  Board  selected  the  sites,  and  purchased  the 
grounds  upon  which  are  located  the  Insane  Asylum  at 
Kalamazoo,  and  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum  at  Flint. 
In  1849  Mr.  Taylor  was  appointed,  by  Governor  Barry, 
Secretary  of  State,  which  office  he  held  for  three  years, 
having  been  elected  in  1850.  In  1854  he  was  made 
Register  of  the  Land  Office  for  the  Sheboygan  District; 
but,  after  three  years,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  private 
business,  he  resigned.  In  August,  1866,  he  became 
Postmaster,  under  President  Johnson;  but  held  the  office 
less  than  a  year,  as  a  Republican  Senate  refused  to  con¬ 
firm  a  Democratic  appointee.  From  1847  until  1855, 
he  edited  the  Grand  Rapids  Enqtiirer.  In  1861-2  he 
was  editor-in-chief  and  part  proprietor  of  the  Detroit 
Free  Press,  but'  failing  health  compelled  him  to  relin¬ 
quish  his  labors.  That  which  especially  distinguishes 
Mr.  Taylor,  and  gives  him  a  position  in  this  work,  is 
the  sterling  integrity  which  he  manifested  in  a  degree 
uncommon  even  among  the  strictest  business  men.  In 
1856  he  completed  a  four-story  block  of  buildings 
fronting  on  Canal  street,  between  Pearl  and  Lyon  streets, 
and  put  into  it  nearly  every  dollar  of  his  fortune,  ac¬ 
quired  by  years  of  self-denial  and  hard  labor.  Shortly 
afterwards,  the  foundation  gave  way  and  the  edifice  fell, 
a  mass  of  ruins.  His  numerous  friends  freely  volun¬ 
teered  their  assistance  in  re-erecting  the  building.  This 
event,  which  was  soon  followed  by  the  financial  difficul¬ 
ties  of  1857,  loaded  him  with  obligations  which  almost 
any  other  man  would,  by  means  legally  allowable,  have 
thrown  off.  But  Mr.  Taylor,  working  faithfully  for 
eighteen  years,  during  many  of  which  he  has  been  an 
invalid,  has  paid  dollar  for  dollar  of  his  indebtedness, 
principal  and  interest.  So  signal  an  instance  of  individual 
integrity  and  scrupulousness  is  seldom  manifested  by  any 
business  man;  and,  when  it  oecurs,  it  should,  for  the 
benefit  of  future  generations,  be  duly  recorded,  that 
all  may  pay  “honor  to  whom  honor  is  due.”  To-day 
Mr.  Taylor  stands  before  his  fellow-men,  a  living  illus¬ 
tration  of  the  text,  “A  good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen 
than  great  riches.” 


HOMAS,  WILLIAM  B.,  of  Ionia,  Michigan,  the 
son  of  Christie  and  Sarah  (Martin)  Thomas,  was 
,#■  born,  August  12,  1831,  at  Rush,  Monroe  County, 
New  York,  and  is  of  German  descent.  He  received  an 
academic  education  at  Genesee  Wesleyan  Seminary,  Gen¬ 
esee  College,  and  at  Lima,  New  York.  He  studied  medi¬ 
cine  at  the  Michigan  and  Buffalo  Universities,  and  grad¬ 
uated  at  the  latter  place  in  1857.  He  practiced  medieine 
first  at  Otsego,  Allegan  County,  Michigan;  afterwards,  at 
Muir,  Ionia  County,  until  1861,  when  he  settled  perma¬ 
nently  in  Ionia.  In  1862  Mr.  Thomas  entered  the  United 
States  Army  as  Surgeon  of  the  21st  Michigan  Volunteers. 


124 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


He  resigned,  in  1863,  on  account  of  ill  health;  returned 
»to  Ionia  to  resume  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  was 
appointed  Examining-Surgeon  for  Pensions,  which  office 
he  still  retains.  In  1866  he  was  made  United  States 
Marshal  of  the  Western  District  of  Michigan.  Impaired 
health  obliged  Mr.  Thomas  to  relinquish  the  general 
practice  of  medicine.  He  studied  law,  and  was  admit¬ 
ted  to  the  bar  in  1870.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  1870;  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  in 
1872,  and  Circuit  Court  Commissioner  in  1874.  He  be¬ 
came  a  Master  Mason  in  1854;  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and 
Knight  Templar  in  1865  ;  and  has  been  High  Priest  of 
Ionia  Chapter,  and  Eminent  Commander  of  Ionia  Com- 
mandery.  Mr.  Thomas  joined  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Rush,  New  York,  in  1850,  and  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  Ionia,  Michigan,  in  1865.  He  was  a  Whig  until  1856; 
a  Democrat  till  i860;  a  Republican  until  1866;  and  is 
now  a  Democrat.  In  February,  1861,  he  married  Cor¬ 
delia  W.  Norton.  They  have  two  children. 

- »<>• - 


/ilf  HAVER,  PION.  GEORGE  W.,  present  Mayor 
IJ' \  (1877)  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
was  born  at  Burlington,  Vermont,  September  27, 
1827.  His  father,  Nathaniel  Thayer,  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  a  man  of  powerful  physique  and 
great  strength  of  character.  Plis  mother,  Pamelia  Lyon, 
daughter  of  Asa  Lyon,  of  Shelburn,  Vermont,  was  a 
woman  of  strong  sense  and  equable  temperament ;  and, 
although  quiet  and  retiring  in  disposition,  exhibited  a 
lively  interest  in  the  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare  of 
her  family  and  friends.  By  great  personal  effort  and 
self-denial,  Mr.  Thayer  was  enabled  to  obtain  a  good 
education,  in  the  schools  of  Burlington  and  Johnson, 
Vermont;  and,  in  his  eighteenth  year,  at  the  suggestion 
of  his  uncle, —  the  late  Hon.  Lucius  Lyon,  then  Sur¬ 
veyor-General  of  the  North-western  Territories  of  the 
United  States, —  entered  his  uncle’s  office  in  Detroit. 
Desirous  of  fitting  himself  for  the  profession  of  surveyor 
and  civil  engineer,  he  accepted  a  subordinate  position 
in  an  expedition  conducted  by  Mr.  Lyon  and  the  late 
Dr.  Douglas  Houghton,  having  for  its  object  a  linear, 
geographical,  and  geological  survey  of  the  then  almost 
unknown  upper  peninsula  of  Michigan.  Although  this 
work  tested  his  endurance  almost  beyond  his  powers, 
he  successfully  did  all  he  had  undertaken  to  do,  and,  by 
rough  experience,  learned  what  effort  can  accomplish. 
In  addition  to  the  advantages  arising  from  his  connec¬ 
tion  with  this  expedition,  conversation  and  practice  with 
men  of  so  much  general  information  and  scientific  knowl¬ 
edge  were  of  much  benefit  to  him  in  the  study  of  his 
chosen  profession,  and  subsequently  of  the  greatest 
value.  Upon  his  return,  Mr.  Thayer  again  entered  the 
office  of  his  uncle.  He  soon  won  promotion,  and  eventu¬ 


ally  reached  the  position  of  chief  clerk,  which  he  filled 
with  honor  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  business 
associates.  In  1856  the  office  was  removed  to  Minne¬ 
sota,  when  he  resigned,  being  indisposed  to  leave  the 
State.  Five  years  after,  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  business  of  a  retail  and  whole¬ 
sale  grocer.  It  is  an  occupation  to  which  he  is  not 
especially  adapted;  but,  having  entered  it,  he  has  carried 
it  on  successfully.  In  public  life,  Mr.  Thayer  served  a 
term  as  City  Clerk;  and,  for  some  years,  was  manager 
of  the  first  street  railroad  established  in  Grand  Rapids. 
Under  his  management,  this  road  became,  for  the  first 
time  in  its  history,  popular  and  profitable  to  its  owners. 
Having  been  elected  Mayor  in  the  spring  of  1877,  he 
is  proving  himself  to  be  a  most  efficient  executive  officer. 
Within  the  first  quarter  ' of  his  term  of  office,  he  has 
been  mainly  instrumental  in  inaugurating  much  needed 
reforms  in  certain  departments  of  the  city  government, 
which  elicits  the  thanks  of  the  citizens.  Mr.  Thayer  is 
a  man  of  extensive  general  knowledge,  having  compre¬ 
hensive  understanding  of  all  practical  subjects.  His 
nature  is  positive,  but  he  acts  only  after  great  delibera¬ 
tion.  With  him,  system  and  order  are  first  in  impor¬ 
tance.  Fairness  and  honesty  of  purpose  influence  him 
in  all  his  dealings  with  his  fellow-citizens  and  co-work- 
ers;  and  his  friendships,  strong  and  worthily  bestowed, 
turn  on  his  love  of  right  and  abhorrence  of  wrong.  As 
with  all  men  of  positive  character,  by  many  he  is  neither 
understood  nor  appreciated.  In  politics,  he  has  acted 
with  the  Democratic  party;  and,  in  early  life,  embraced 
the  religious  views  embodied  in  the  doctrines  of  Emman¬ 
uel  Swedenborg.  On  the  loth  of  October,  1849,  Mr. 
Thayer  married  Anna  Grace,  daughter  of  John  Cubley, 
an  emigrant  from  Derbyshire,  England.  They  have 
four  sons,  all  of  whom  are  living. 


HOMPSON,  HON.  CHARLES  C.,  of  Whitehall, 
Michigan,  was  born,  June  4,  1831,  in  Beekman- 
town,  Clinton  County,  New  York.  He  is  the  son 
of  Shubal  T.  and  Margaret  J.  Thompson.  His  father,  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  afterwards  became  a  Meth¬ 
odist  minister.  Mr.  Thompson  passed  his  boyhood  in 
alternate  work  on  the  farm  and  at  school,  and,  finally, 
devoted  himself  entirely  to  farming  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  his  twentieth  year,  he  married  Harriet  M. 
Dewey,  of  Clinton  County,  New  York.  He  attributes 
to  her  much  of  the  success  which  has  attended  his 
career.  Soon  after  his  marriage,  he  moved  to  Grafton, 
McHenry  County,  Illinois,  where  he  worked  a  farm  for 
seven  years.  During  this  time,  he  took  charge,  not 
only  of  his  own  family,  but  of  his  younger  brothers  and 
sisters,  who  were  thrown  upon  his  care  by  the  death  of 
his  father.  In  1857  he  settled  at  White  Lake,  Muskegon 


I 


i*'  i 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


125 


County,  Michigan.  In  1858,  in  partner.ship  with  A.  J. 
Covell,  he  bought  a  saw-mill,  at  the  head  of  White 
Lake,  where  Whitehall  now  stands,  and  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  lumber.  In  1859  he  purchased  Mr. 
Covell’s  interest,  and,  for  two  years,  worked  the  mill 
alone.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  opened  a  general 
mercantile  store,,  with  Mr.  Coveil  and  another  gentle¬ 
man  as  partners.  This  was  carried  on  during  four  years, 
in  connection  with  the  lumber  business.  The  company 
then  sold  the  saw-mill,  and  built  a  schooner  of  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty  tons  burden,  for  shipping  lumber.  In 
1867  Mr.  Thompson  again  bought  out  Mr.  Covell’s  in¬ 
terest,  and  carried  on  the  business  for  two  years,  with 
his  Chicago  partner.  Whitehall,  which  had  been  laid 
out  seven  years  before,  was  incorporated  as  a  village,  and 
received  its  present  name,  in  1867.  Mr.  Thompson 
contributed  freely  of  his  time  and  money  to  promote  the 
growth  of  the  place.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first 
Common  Council  at  Whitehall,  and  has  been  President 
of  the  village.  Trustee,  and  Supervisor.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  has  labored  zealously  for  the  improvement  of 
the  schools.  As  a  Representative  in  the  State  Legisla¬ 
ture  of  1873-74,  Mr.  Thompson  earned  the  reputation 
of  a  faithful,  earnest,  and  conscientious  legislator.  In 
1854  he  was  actively  engaged  in  organizing  the  first 
lodge  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance  in  Grafton,  Illinois. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  since 
1866.  Mr.  Thompson  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  frank  and  open- 
hearted,  and  is  noted  for  his  sarcasm,  quickness  at  re¬ 
partee,  and  for  industry  and  uncommon  tenacity  of 
purpose.  Of  late  years,  he  has  speculated  much  in 
lands.  His  wife  died,  September  i,  1867,  leaving  one 
daughter,  nine  years  of  age. 


fjriLLOTSON,  GEORGE  J.,  Lumberman,  Muske- 
A  gon,  Michigan,  was  born  November  14,  1819,  in 
Maroe,  Saratoga  County,  New  York.  Pie  is  the 
son  of  David  and  S.  Tillotson.  His  father  purchased  a 
farm  on  the  Hudson  River,  four  miles  from  Glenn’s  Falls, 
in  Queensbury,  Warren  County,  New  York,  and  moved 
there  in  1823.  His  education  was  imperfect,  owing  to 
limited  advantages;  the  schools  were  at  some  distance 
from  his  home,  and  the  feeble  health  of  his  father  and 
elder  brother,  compelled  him  to  labor  at  an  early  age. 
When  he  was  twelve  years  old  his  father  moved  to  North¬ 
umberland,  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  where  he  re¬ 
mained  three  years.  In  1834  the  family  returned  to 
Warren  County,  where  Mr.  George  Tillotson  spent  several 
years,  working  a  farm  in  summer  and  driving  a  team 
during  the  winter.  In  1838  his  father  removed  to  Glenn’s 
Falls,  New  York,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 


Two  years  later  the  mother  died,  and,  the  home  being 
broken  up,  Mr.  Tillotson  engaged  to  work  in  a  saw-mill. 
In  1846  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Bronson, 
in  a  mill  owned  by  Abraham  Wing;  at  the  close  of  two 
years  he  bought  out  his  partner,  and,  for  several  years, 
carried  on  the  business  alone.  The  year  1S57  was  passed 
on  a  farm  at  Albion,  Michigan.  From  the  spring  of 
1858,  until  the  year  1861,  he  took  charge  of  a  saw-mill, 
for  Mr.  Romaine,  at  Feeder  Dam,  two  miles  above  Glenn’s 
Falls,  Saratoga  County,  New  York.  From  this  time 
until  1865,  he  was  employed  as  foreman  in  the  mills  of 
Cherry  &  Arms,  Glenn’s  Falls,  New  York.  He  then  re¬ 
moved  to  Muskegon,  Michigan,  where  he  now  resides. 
Mr.  Tillotson  spent  eleven  years  as  foreman  in  the  saw¬ 
mill  of  L.  G.  Mason  &  Co.;, he  then  went  into  the  fur¬ 
niture  business,  having  previously  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  son-in-law.  J.  E.  Montgomery.  The  following 
year  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  son-in-law,  hired  the  saw¬ 
mill  knoMm-  as  the  Esau  Tarrant  Mill,  in  Lakeside,  on 
the  south  shore  of  Muskegon  Lake,  and  is,  at  present, 
preparing  to  run  this  mill  during  the  season,  1877.  Mr. 
Tillotson  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with  which  he  has 
been  identified  since  his  settlement  in  Muskegon,  and 
which  he  has  served  in  various  offices.  Pie  is  now 
a  trustee,  steward,  class-leader,  and  Sabbath  School 
Superintendent.  He  was  married,  in  1842,  to  Martha 
Ann  Norris,  of  Glenn’s  Falls.  They  have  three  children, 
all  residents  of  Muskegon.  Mr.  Tillotson  and  his  daugh¬ 
ters,  Mrs.  Erwin  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Montgomery,  are  favor¬ 
ably  known  for  their  musical  talent. 


fOWER,  PION.  OSMOND,  of  Ionia,  Michigan, 


late  United  States  Marshal  of  the  Western  District 
of  that  State,  was  born  at  Cummington,  Hamp¬ 
shire  County,  Massachusetts,  February  16,  1811.  He 
is  the  sixth  in  direct  descent  from  John  Tower,  who, 
in  1639,  emigrated  from  Hingham,  England,  to  Hing- 
ham.  New  England.  The  names  in  the  genealogical 
record  are:  John,  born  March  14,  1609;  Benjamin,  born 
November  5,  1654;  Thomas,  born  June  27,  1693;  Na¬ 
thaniel,  born  March  13,  1719;  Nathaniel,  born  October 
14,  1744;  Nathaniel,  born  December  6,  1772;  and  Os¬ 
mond,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  born  P'ebruary  16, 
1811.  His  father  moved,  in  1780,  from  Hingham  to 
Cummington,  Massachusetts,  where  Osmond  was  born. 
Osmond  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  and  acad¬ 
emies  of  his  native  town,  until,  early  realizing  the 
unprofitable  results  of  the  toil  and  labor  incident  to  a 
farmer’s  life  in  that  sterile  region,  he  decided  to  leave 
home  and  try  his  fortunes  in  the  West.  With  this  end 
in  view,  in  order  to  obtain  the  necessary  funds,  he 
went  to  work  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner’s  trade  for  ten 


/ 


126 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


dollars  a  month,  and  taught  school  in  the  winter  at 
eleven  dollars  a  month;  until,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three, 
he  had  accumulated  a  fortune  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy  dollars.  To  most  young  men  of  the  present 
day,  this  sum  would  barely  suffice  to  purchase  a  respect¬ 
able  outfit  of  clothing ;  but  to  Osmond,  taught  lessons 
of  frugality  and  economy  on  the  rocky  soil  of  a  Massa¬ 
chusetts  farm,  it  seemed  not  only  enough  to  pay  his  own 
way  to  the  golden  regions  of  the  West,  but  sufficient 
for  two.  Accordingly,  he  offered  to  share  his  fortune 
with  Miss  Martha  Gallagher,  of  Albany  County,  New 
York,  provided  she  would  accompany  him  as  his  wife. 
This  offer  was  accepted,  and,  on  the  ist  of  September, 
1834,  they  were  married  in  Watervliet,  Albany  County, 
New  York,  at  the  residence  of  her  guardian  and  friend, 
Dr.  James  Wade,  a  brother  of  Hon.  B.  F.  Wade,  of 
Ohio.  Dr.  Wade  had  adopted  her  on  the  death  of  her 
mother,  soon  after  her  arrival  in  this  country  from  her 
native  land,  Ireland.  Shortly  after  the  ceremony,  the 
young  couple  started  out  on  their  long  and  tedious  jour¬ 
ney  to  the  West,  rendered  still  more  painful  and  difficult 
by  an  accident  with  which  Mrs.  Tower  met  in  jumping 
from  a  wagon  soon  after  their  departure.  This  so  dis¬ 
abled  her  that  she  could  not  walk  for  six  jnonths,  and 
compelled  the  young  husband  often  to  carry  her  in  his 
strong  arms.  They  arrived  at  Detroit  in  November; 
and,  finding  that  navigation  had  closed,  concluded  not 
to  go  farther  that  winter.  Mr.  Tower  worked  at  his 
trade  until  that  failed,  on  account  of  the  coldness  of  the 
weather,  when  they  moved  to  Farmington,  and  engaged 
board  at  one  dollar  and  a  half  a  week  for  both.  When 
spring  opened,  Mr.  Tower  returned  to  Detroit,  and 
worked  at  his  former  occupation  there  until  fall;  when, 
hearing  glowing  accounts  of  the  Grand  River  Valley, 
he  hired  a  horse  and  rode  from  Detroit  to  Ionia.  He 
was  obliged  to  swim  his  horse  across  the  Grand  River 
three  times;  twice  at  Lyons,  and  once  near  Thornapple. 
The  village  of  Ionia  then  consisted  of  two  log  houses. 
Proceeding  to  the  land  office  at  Kalamazoo,  Mr.  Tower 
located  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  near 
Ionia,  and  returned  to  Detroit,  via  Marshall,  Jackson, 
and  Ann  Arbor.  In  the  following  spring,  with  his 
wife,  he  started  for  Ionia,  and  arrived  there  on  the  25th 
of  March,  1836,  with  seventy-five  cents  in  his  pocket, 
and  a  debt  of  one  dollar  and  a  half  for  board  and  lodg¬ 
ing  to  a  Mr.  Dexter.  Pie  immediately  secured  work 
at  his  trade,  on  the  first  school-house  built  in  the  Grand 
River  Valley;  and,  in  a  little  time,  was  able  to  build  a 
frame  house  for  himself.  This  he  afterwards  sold,  and 
immediately  built  another,  in  which  he  lived  for  thirty- 
four  years,  until  he  erected  the  magnificent  residence  in 
which  he  now  lives.  Soon  after  coming  to  Ionia,  he 
spent  some  time  on  the  land  he  had  located  in  1835, 
clearing  and  improving  it.  While  thus  engaged,  he 
shot  and  killed  a  large  bear  within  a  few  feet  of  his 


door.  He  continued  in  the  business  of  house-building 
at  Ionia  until  1844,  when  he  engaged  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture  and  sale  of  fanning-mills,  which  he  carried  on  for 
twenty  years.  During  this  time,  however,  and  since, 
he  has  been  occupied  in  several  lines  of  business, — being 
a  member  of  the  dry-goods  house  of  J.  S.  Cooper  & 
Co.  for  seven  years;  speculating  extensively  in  real  es¬ 
tate;  manufacturing  hot-air  furnaces,  in  connection  with 
the  foundry  and  hardware  business,  and  administering 
all  with  equal  success.  In  the  spring  of  1850,  enticed 
by  the  prospects  which  influenced  so  many  about  that 
time,  Mr.  Tower  left  Ionia  for  California;  where,  after  a 
journey  of  great  hardship  and  privations,  he  arrived  July 
28,  exactly  four  months  after  he  had  started.  He  re¬ 
mained  there  only  till  February  of  the  next  year,  when 
he  returned  home  by  way  of  Panama  and  New  York. 
He  reached  Ionia  the  last  of  April,  1851,  having  realized 
little  beyond  that  dearly  bought  experience  which,  in 
those  days,  fell  to  the  lot  of  hundreds  of  others.  While 
giving  the  closest  attention  to  his  business,  Mr.  Tower  has 
also  been  called  to  take  an  active  part  in  local  and  State 
politics,  and  has  ever  proved  an  able  and  faithful  public 
servant.  He  was  a  Whig  in  opposition  to  Andrew 
Jackson;  and,  in  1835,  attended  the  first  meeting  in  the 
State  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  that  party.  In  1838 
Mr.  Tower  received  the  Whig  nomination  for  first 
Sheriff  of  Ionia  County,  but  declined  to  become  a  can¬ 
didate.  In  1840  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  by  the 
same  party.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  of 
Ionia  County  several  times,  having  been  elected  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  In  1858  he  was  chosen  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  State  Senate,  and  was  re-elected  in 
i860.  He  has  been  identified  with  all  local  enterprises 
that  tended  to  benefit  the  city  of  Ionia;  and,  at  the 
organization  of  the  Ionia  and  Lansing  Railroad  Com¬ 
pany,  was  one  of  the  principal  stockholders ;  a  Director, 
and  the  first  Treasurer  of  the  company.  In  March, 
1863,  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  first  United 
States  Marshal  of  the  Western  District  of  Michigan, 
and  held  that  office  about  three  years.  The  circum¬ 
stances  attendant  upon  his  removal,  by  President  Johnson, 
gained  for  Mr.  Tower  a  far  more  than  local  reputation 
as  a  man  of  powerful  will,  and  strong  and  decided  char¬ 
acter.  A  copy  of  the  famous  “  Randall  Circular,”  issued 
in  1866,  was  handed  to  him  while  confined  to  his  bed 
by  sickness.  He  read  the  document,  and,  calling  for 
paper  and  pencil,  immediately  wrote,  and  sent  to  the 
press  for  publication,  one  of  the  most  caustic  and  defiant 
replies  that  appeared  during  that  exciting  campaign. 
In  order  to  illustrate  Mr.  Tower’s  character,  we  give 
the  concluding  portion  of  the  letter,  without  comment. 
The  New  York  Tribune  headed  the  article,  “Another 
Official  Who  Can  Live  Without  Official  Bread  and 
Butter: 

“As  long  as  the  Republican  party  is  true  to  its  prin- 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


ciples,  I  shall  give  it  my  influence,  whether  in  office  or 
out,  and  therefore  shall  not  join  any  new  party,  or  cross 
between  treason  and  loyalty  to  be  controlled  by  traitors 
and  their  sympathizers.  At  the  Baltimore  Convention, 
I  voted  for  Hannibal  Hamlin;  and,  at  the  election,  I 
spent  all  the  time  and  money  I  was  able  to  elect  Lin¬ 
coln  and  Johnson.  I  have  favored  all  measures  to 
suppress  the  Rebellion,  and  preserve  the  Union;  had 
three  sons  in  the  army,  and  paid  my  shape  of  taxes  and 
bounties.  By  virtue  of  New  England  energy  and  econ¬ 
omy,  I  have  been  able  to  eat  my  own  bread  and  butter, 
and  have  some  left,  not  obtained  through  any  office.  If 
my  actions  and  my  sentiments,  as  above  set  forth,  are  not 
consistent  with  holding  a  Government  office,  I  am  ready 
to  vacate  any  time  my  successor  may  be  appointed,  with 
only  one  request,  which  is,  that  as  there  are  several 
sudden  converts  to  this  new  organization,  made  so  by 
the  promise  of  my  office,  it  shall  be  filled  by  an  original, 
consistent  copperhead.  I  can,  in  a  measure,  respect  a 
straight-forward  rebel  or  copperhead,  but  can  do  no 
other  than  abominate  a  political  ‘Judas’  bartering  away 
his  faith,  and  covering  himself  with  dishonor  for  an 
office.  I  am,  respectfully, 

“Osmond  Tower, 

'^United  States  Marshal,  Western  District  Michigan.'''' 

Mr.  Tower  is  now,  and  has  been  for  many  years.  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Ionia,  and  has  been 
dfficially  connected  with  the  public  schools  most  of  the 
time  for  forty  years.  His  family  consists  of  four  sons, 
two  of  whom  were  Captains  in  the  late  Rebellion ;  the 
third  was  also  a  volunteer.  The  youngest,  then  thirteen 
years  old,  also  wished  to  enlist  as  drummer-boy;  but, 
while  he  was  learning  to  drum,  the  war  ended.  Mr. 
Tower  has,  to  a  great  extent,  retired  from  active  busi¬ 
ness;  and,  with  his  estimable  wife,  quietly  enjoys  the 
fruits  of  their  early  struggles.  A  man  of  powerful  will, 
strong  prejudices,  and  positive  character;  usually  acting 
from  impulse,  he  has  made  many  warm  friends,  as  well 
as  bitter  enemies.  But  even  his  enemies  acknowledge 
that  generally  his  impulses  are  good,  his  judgment  cor¬ 
rect,  and  his  integrity  unquestioned.  He  is  a  willing 
and  generous  friend,  and  a  liberal  contributor  to  all 
benevolent  objects.  He  is  possessed  of  strong  religious 
convictions,  being  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church, 
and  his  moral  character  is  above  reproach. 


^*|^RAIN,  JARVIS  CLEMENT,  of  Lowell,  Kent 
1 1  IV  County,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Tunbridge,  Orange 
County,  Vermont,  July  8,  1834.,  He  is  the  son  of 
Sylvester  and  Lucinda  (Willard)  Train,  who  removed  to 
Michigan  in  1840,  and  settled  in  Boston,  Ionia,  County. 
His  early  youth  was  spent  on  his  father’s  farm,  in  alter¬ 
nate  work  and  study.  On  attaining  his'  majority,  he 
worked  by  the  day  for  his  father  two  years.  In  1856  he 
married  Elizabeth  Warren;  and,  soon  after,  removed  to 
Whiteside,  Illinois,  where  he  was  a  successful  farmer 
ten  years.  In  1867  he  returned  to  Michigan,  and  settled 
in  Lowell,  Kent  County.  After  ten  months  of  mefcan- 


127 

tile  life,  he  engaged  in  a  general  speculative  business, 
which  he  has  since  carried  on, —  buying  and  selling  farm 
products.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Independent 
Greenback  party,  which  he  joined  in  1876,  having  been 
previously  a  Republican.  Mr.  Train,  though  shrewd 
and  far-sighted  in  business,  is  generous,  and  has  been 
closely  connected  with  all  public  enterprises  under¬ 
taken  to  advance  the  interests  of  Lowell.  One  large 
block  in  the  village  is  a  standing  monument  to  his  public 
spirit.  Though  an  uncommonly  hard  worker  in  his 
township,  and  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  his  political 
principles,  Mr.  Train  steadfastly  declines  to  become  a 
candidate  for  any  public  office.  His  connection  with 
political  movements  is  only  of  that  nature  which  is  con¬ 
sistent  with  the  duties  of  the  active  business  man  and 
public-spirited  citizen.  From  his  earliest  youth  he  has 
relied  entirely  on  his  own  resources;  and,  by  industry, 
diligence,  and  integrity,  has  acquired  his  present  hand¬ 
some  competence ;  a  character  for  unimpeachable  honesty, 
and  a  reputation  among  his  fellow-citizens  of  which  he 
may  justly  be  proud.  He  is  a  most  deservedly  popular 
man  in  Lowell,  and  his  affability  of  demeanor  levels  all 
social  distinctions.  He  is  a  warm  and  generous  friend, 
and  a  liberal  supporter  of  all  public  improvements. 


I'RUESDELL,  LEVI,  of  Muskegon,  Michigan,  was 
born,  November  4,  1815,  at  Warsaw,  Genesee 
County,  New  York.  His  parents,  Gideon  R.  and 
Polly  (Banister)  Truesdell,  removed  from  Whitehall, 
New  York,  at  an  early  day,  to  the  Holland  Purchase. 
The  boy  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  but  left  home  when 
he  was  eighteen,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  hotel,  where 
he  remained  three  years.  Having  saved  seventy-five  dol¬ 
lars,  he  began  business  in  Portage,  New  York.  He 
walked  from  Portage  to  Rochester  and  back,- — -one  hun¬ 
dred  miles, —  to  purchase  his  first  stock  of  goods.  From 
this  small  beginning,  his  trade  increased  until  he  had  a 
profitable  business.  He  remained  there  nineteen  years, 
and  then  went  to  Muskegon.  There,  in  1855,  the  firm 
of  Durkee,  Truesdell  &  Co.  began  the  manufacture  of 
lumber.  Before  the  year  closed,  he  saw  that  a  financial 
crash  was  coming;  he  sold  his  interest  and  returned  to 
Portage,  where  he  purchased  his  old  establishment,  and 
remained  until  1867.  At  that  time,  he  engaged  in  mer¬ 
cantile  business  at  Muskegon.  Soon  after  his  arrival, 
all  his  property  was  destroyed  by  fire;  but  the  smoke 
had  scarcely  cleared  away  from  the  ruins,  before  he  be¬ 
gan  laying  the  foundation  of  a  new  store,  in  which  he 
carried  on  the  trade  until  1872.  Pie  has  recently  again 
engaged  in  business  at  Muskegon,  and  is  a  partner,  with 
his  son,  A.  C.  Truesdell,  in  the  firm  of  Jacob  Hetz  & 
Co.  He  also  deals  largely  in  real  estate.  His  youngest 
son,  Frederick  G.  Truesdell,  is  cashier  of  the  first  Na- 


138 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


tional  Bank,  at  Allegan,  Michigan.  His  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Frank  E.  Mills,  private  banker,  of  Nunda, 
New  York.  While  at  Portage,  Mr.  Truesdell  was,  at  dif¬ 
ferent  times,  Supervisor,  Town  Clerk,  Deputy  Sheriff, 
and  Postmaster.  He  received  this  last  appointment 
under  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln,  and 
held  the  oflice  until  his  removal  to  Muskegon.  He  was 
educated  a  Whig,  and  helped  to  organize  the  Repub¬ 
lican  party  in  Western  New  York.  He  married  Mary 
A.  Chaddock,  January  19,  1839.  They  have  three  chil¬ 
dren, —  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

— — .<>« - 

HljpURNER,  AARON  B.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michi- 
J|. Ill  gan,  was  born  in  Plattsburg,  Clinton  County,  New 
York,  on  the  27th  of  August,  1822.  He  was  the 
son  of  Isaac  Turner,  an  iron  manufacturer  and  mill¬ 
wright,  of  that  town.  His  educational  advantages  were 
limited  to  those  of  the  common  schools  of  that  period ; 
yet,  as  a  student,  he  showed  special  aptitude  in  gram¬ 
mar  and  mathematics.  In  the  spring  of  1836  the  family 
emigrated  from  Plattsburg  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
then  a  small  but  rapidly  growing  village,  which  had 
been-  commenced  three  years  before,  on  the  basis  of  an 
Indian  camping  ground  and  missionary  station.  In  the 
winter  of  1837-8,  Mr.  Turner  began  learning  the  printer’s 
trade,  in  the  office  of  the  Grand  River  Times,  then  just 
started,  which  was  the '  first  newspaper  published  in 
Western  Michigan.  During  the  six  years  which  followed, 
he  continued  to  work  in  that  oflice.  In  1843  Turner 
married  a  daughter  of  Captain  Willard  Sibley,  also  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  at  Grand  Rapids.  They  have 
three  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom,  except  one 
son,  are  living.  In  1844  he  procured  a  hand-press  and 
types  for  printing  a  Whig  newspaper,  the  material  arriv¬ 
ing  in  time  to  print  the  election  tickets  for  the  Clay 
campaign.  On  the  25th  of  December  of  that  year,  he 
issued  the  first  number  of  the  Grand  River  Eagle,  a 
weekly  journal,  the  name  of  which  he  subsequently 
changed  to  the  Grand  Rapids  Eagle.  He  has  since  re¬ 
mained  its  principal  proprietor  and  editor.  This  journal 
was  the  first  to  raise  the  name  of  Zachary  Taylor  as 
Whig  candidate  for  President;  and  vigorously  advocated 
the  principles,  and  supported  the  candidates,  until  the 
final  defeat  of  the  Whig  party.  Though  an  ardent  Whig, 
Mr.  Turner  disapproved  having  the  leadership  of  that 
party  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  pro-slavery  element, 
after  the  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  under  the 
so-called  compromise  measures  of  President  Fillmore’s 
administration.  Yet  the  Eagle  supported  heartily  the 
nominations  of  the  National  Whig  Convention  of  1852, 
until  the  close  of  that  campaign.  Immediately  after  the 
defeat  of  the  National  Whig  ticket,  however,  Mr.  Turner 
placed  at  the  head  of  his  paper  the  declaration  of  a  new 


departure,  in  these  words:  “An  Independent  Demo¬ 
cratic  Journal,”  and  thereupon  began  to  advocate  the 
abandonment  of  the  Whig  organization.  This  eventually 
culminated  in  the  formal  inauguration  of  the  Republican 
party,  at  the  Jackson  (Michigan)  Convention,  in  June, 
1854.  On  the  22d  of  February  of  that  year,  the  Eagle 
promptly  supported  the  nomination  of  Kinsley  S.  Bing¬ 
ham  for  Governor;  and,  from  that  time,  labored  to  pro¬ 
cure  the  re-organization  of  parties  which  coalesced  the 
following  summer.  On  the  accomplishment  of  this  move¬ 
ment,  Mr.  Turner  found  himself  and  his  journal,  for  the 
first  time,  on  the  side  of  the  majority  in  his  State.  Pub¬ 
lishing  a  newspaper  in  Western  Michigan,  prior  to  i860, 
was  no  tempting  speculation;  and  Mr.  Turner,  in  his 
enterprise,  often  struggled  against  discouragements  such 
as  in  these  later  days  are  rarely  encountered.  Never¬ 
theless,  in  May,  1856,  he  began  the  daily  issue  of  the 
Grand  Rapids  Eagle,  and  has  continued  it  ever  since. 
As  a  newspaper,  the  Eagle  has  been  a  fair  success;  and, 
in  character  and  influence,  takes  position  among  the 
leading  journals  of  the  State.  It  is  moral  and  elevated 
in  tone,  and  independent  in  expression.  Its  proprietor 
and  founder  is  the  veteran  journalist  of  Michigan,  being 
the  only  editor  in  that  State  who  founded  and  has  con¬ 
trolled  a  newspaper  for  thirty-three  years.  Such  meas¬ 
ure  of  success  as  he  has  had,  pecuniarily  and  otherwise, 
is  the  result  of  years  of  persistent  labor  and  effort  un¬ 
known  in  any  other  form  of  business.  In  1863  his  print¬ 
ing-office  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire;  but  this  misfor¬ 
tune  caused  only  a  brief  suspension  of  the  publication 
of  his  newspaper.  In  public  life  Mr.  Turner  has  filled 
various  positions.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he  was  elected 
the  first  Clerk  of  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids',  Henry  R. 
Williams  being  elected  the  first  Mayor.  In  the  first 
Republican  Legislature  of  Michigan,  organized  in  1855, 
he  was  Journal  Clerk  to  the  House  of  Representatives; 
official  reporter  for  the  Senate  in  1857,  and  Secretary 
of  that  body  for  the  two  terms  of  1859  and  1861.  In  1862 
he  was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  Collector  of 
Internal  Revenue  for  the  Fourth  District  of  Michigan, 
and  organized  the  Internal  Revenue  service  in  that  por¬ 
tion  of  the  State.  In  1866  he  was  removed  by  Andrew 
Johnson,  because  of  his  opposition  to  that  President’s 
policy.  In  1869  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Grand 
Rapids,  by  President  Grant,  and  was  re-appointed  in 
1873.  religious  views,  Mr.  Turner  inclines  to  the 

Universalist  faith.  He  is  independent  in  thought,  and 
tenacious  in  his  opinions;  being  in  nowise  influenced  by 
policy  or  personal  advantage  to  yield  what  he  regards 
as  vital  issues.  Socially,  he  is  eminently  companionable, 
with  much  aptitude  for  the  enjoyment  of  all  legitimate 
pleasures.  He  is  fond  of  shooting  and  fishing,  and  has 
a  keen  appreciation  of  the  beauties  of  nature  and  art, 
and  also  of  the  triumphs  of  mechanism  which  distinguish 
the  present  age  of  the  world.  He  is  of  medium  height, 


^VG«oEPerme»'«''^ 


i 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


129 


rather  thick  set,  broad-chested  and  muscular.  The  expres¬ 
sion  of  his  countenance  is  pleasing;  his  eyes  blue,  and  his 
hair,  from  the  effect  of  illness,  is  prematurely  a  silvery 
white.  His  health  is  robust,  with  unabated  bodily  and 
mental  vigor.  He  is  as  earnest  and  enthusiastic  in  polit¬ 
ical  affairs  as  in  the  days  of  his  early  manhood. 

- K>* - 

^I^AUGHN,  JULIUS  L.,  Dentist,  of  Muskegon,  was 
near  Columbus,  Chenango  County,  New 
York,  October  21,  1834.  Pie  is  the  son  of  Ansel 
and  Hannah  Vaughn.  After  receiving  a  common-school 
education,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  cabinet-maker’s 
trade,  and  became  an  expert  in  the  business.  Pie  was 
engaged  in  the  piano  store  of  Hayes,  Eaton  &  Co.,  in 
Norwich,  until  the  fall  of  1856.  He  then  made  his  first 
journey  West,  and  entered  the  office  of  Leonard  Arnold, 
a  prominent  dentist.  Under  his  teachings,  Mr.  Vaughn 
acquired  skill  in  his  profession.  Soon  after  commencing 
the  practice  of  dentistry,  he  made  a  tour  through  Illi¬ 
nois,  working  professionally,  and  making  Mount  Norris 
his  head-quarters.  After  a  year’s  experience,  he  settled 
for  a  time  in  Smyrna,  New  York,  and  then  resumed  his 
professional  travels.  From  1859  to  1862  he  continued 
his  work  in  this  itinerant  fashion,  spending  some  months 
at  Honesdale,  Pennsylvania.  In  1864  he  removed  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  v'orking  for  a  short  time  in 
Dr.  Parker’s  office.  In  1866  he  settled  permanently 
at  Muskegon,  where  he  practices  his  profession  with 
marked  success.  Dr.  Vaughn  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  throughout  the  western  part  of  the  State  as  one 
of  the  leading  dentists.  He  has  been,  for  seven  years, 
a  member  of  the  State  Dental  Association.  He  is  an 
amateur  singer  of  some  note;  good  judges  pronounce 
him  the  best  tenor  in  the  State.  He  has  been  con¬ 
nected  with  several  musical  societies,  and  has  been 
leader  of  church  choirs  for  years.  He  is  at  present  the 
leader  of  the  choir  of  the  Congregational  Church  in 
Muskegon,  where  his  services  are  highly  appreciated. 
He  married  Cornelia  Egglestone,  of  Norwich,  New  York, 
December  31,  1859.  They  have  three  children. 

- K>* - 

^  -YaN  DERVEEN,  AREND,  M.  D.,  Physician  and 
^  “I'  Surgeon,  of  Grand  Plaven,  Michigan,  was  born 
in  Amsterdam,  Netherlands,  September  13,  1840. 
His  parents,  Jacob  and  Maria  Van  Derveen,  emigrated 
from  their  native  land  to  Holland,  Michigan,  in  the  fall 
of  1847.  Holland  was  at  that  time  a  wilderness,  but 
has  since  risen  to  be  a  thriving  city.  The  death  of  the 
father,  two  years  after  his  arrival  in  America,  left  the 
family  in  straitened  circumstances;  but,  by  hard  work 
and  strict  economy,  the  mother  enabled  her  three  sons 
72 


to  gain  a  thorough  classical  education.  Mr.  Van  Der¬ 
veen  received  his  first  educational  training  in  the  city  of 
Amsterdam, —  the  laws  of  that  country  requiring  every 
child  to  attend  school  at  the  age  of  four.  When  he  was 
fifteen,  he  commenced  teaching,  and  taught  three  sum¬ 
mers.  In  this  way  he  obtained  funds  to  carry  on  his 
education  at  college  during  the  winter  months.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen,  he  graduated  from  the  classical  course 
at  the  Holland  Academy,  and  then  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine,  under  Doctors  Wells,  Marsh,  Dowd,  and 
Sutton.  He  remained  with  the  latter  three  years,  until 
the  danger  which  threatened  the  Union  called  upon  the 
nation’s  loyal  sons  to  arm  in  her  defense.  Dr.  Van  Der¬ 
veen  enlisted  in  the  8th  Michigan  Infantry,  September, 
1861,  and  was  promoted,  in  January,  1862,  to  the  office 
of  hospital  steward.  This  appointment  he  filled  until 
June,  1863,  when  he  received  a  commission  as  Assistant 
Surgeon.  He  remained  in  that  capacity  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  in  1865.  He  was  actively  engaged  during 
the  entire  war,  and  participated  in  thirty-seven  engage¬ 
ments.  He  had  charge  of  tl^  Third  Division  of  the 
Ninth  Corps  of  field  hospitals,  at  Petersburg,  Virginia, 
during  the  siege.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  went  to 
New  York  City,  and  entered  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  from  which  he  graduated  in  March,  1866. 
He  then  removed  to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  where  he 
now  resides.  He  is  a  Democrat ;  and  was  elected  Al¬ 
derman  when  Grand  Haven  first  became  a  city.  He 
is  City  Physician  at  the  present  time.  He  married,  on 
the  i6th  of  September,  1869,  Kate  E.  Howard,  daughter 
of  Hon.  M.  D.  Howard.  Doctor  Van  Derveen  is  undoubt¬ 
edly  the  most  popular  physician  in  Grand  Haven.  His 
extensive  and  constantly  increasing  practice  proves  that 
his  ability  is  highly  appreciated  by  his  fellow-citizens. 


[AN  RAALTE,  rev.  ALBERTUS  CHRISTIAN, 
D.  D.,  of  Holland,  was  born  October  17,  1811,  in 
Wanneperveen,  Netherlands.  He  was  the  young¬ 
est  of  three  brothers,  all  of  v/hom  were  educated  for  the 
ministry.  The  two  oldest  died  before  they  had  begun  to 
preach.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  Mr.  Van  Raalte,  having 
previously  taken  a  medical  course,  graduated,  first  in  his 
class,  from  the  Theological  Department  of  Leyden  Uni¬ 
versity.  He  was  a  very  close  student,  even  to  the  ex¬ 
haustion  of  his  physical  powers.  After  leaving  school, 
he  engaged  in  the  ministry  in  his  native  country,  where 
he  labored  incessantly  for  fifteen  years.  During  this 
time,  he  deeply  felt  the  oppressions  then  existing  in  the 
National  Church,  and  was  the  first  to  proclaim  a  gospel 
untrammeled  by  State  authority;  for  this  he  was  subject 
to  frequent  fines  and  impressments.  Seeing  the  almost 
fatal  results  of  an  over-populated  country,  he  was  led  to 
seek  a  home  in  the  New  World.  In  the  fall  of  1846, 


130 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


with  six  families,  he  sailed  for  America.  Arrived  in 
New  York,  he  pushed  westward,  and  reached  Detroit, 
December  31,  1846.  After  remaining  there  about  two 
years,  he  left  his  family  in  the  care  of  Judge  Kellogg, 
and  went  to  Allegan.  liis  next  step  was  to  decide  upon 
a  site  for  the  colony  about  to  be  formed.  This  was 
finally  located  at  Holland,  and  here  he  again  commenced 
his  ministerial  labors.  The  colony,  numbering  about 
forty  families,  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1847.  The 
grounds  had  been  located  by  Mr.  Kellogg  and  a  few 
others,  but  the  chief  responsibility  fell  upon  Mr.  Van 
Raalte.  In  1848  he  platted  and  laid  out  the  village. 
His  first  thought  was  to  provide  for  a  church  and 
schools ;  and  to  him  the  people  of  Michigan  are  in¬ 
debted  for  Plope  College.  Pie  not  only  contributed 
liberally  himself, — giving  fifteen  acres  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  on  which  the  college  stands,  and  another  plot  of 
sixty  acres  within  the  city  limits, —  but  he  also  solicited 
aid  from  Eastern  churches,  and  obtained  many  private 
subscriptions.  He  was  the  first  President  of  the  college. 
Mr.  Van  Raalte  was  instrumental  in  bringing  to  the 
notice  of  the  Government  the  necessity  for  opening  the 
harbor  at  Holland.  Pie  wrote  to  President  Polk  on  the 
subject,  thus  procuring  a  survey  and  a  small  appropria¬ 
tion.  This  was  not  sufficient,  however,  and  the  new 
administration  refused  further  aid.  Nothing  daunted, 
he  solicited  private  subscriptions,  and  a  grant  of  swamp 
lands  from  the  State,  and  pushed  the  work  forward  until 
the  General  Government  allowed  such  further  appropria¬ 
tions  as  sufficed  for  a  permanent  harbor.  Pie  was  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and 
ministered  to  its  wants,  both  spiritually  and  temporally, 
for  over  forty-five  years.  He  was  an  earnest  Christian, 
a  worthy  minister,  a  trusted  friend,  and  an  affectionate 
father.  He  married  Christina  Johanna  De  Moen.  He 
died  November  7,  1876. 

- K>< - 

JJERPLANKE,  JOGS,  Sheriff  of  Ottawa  County, 
Michigan,  was  born  in  1844,  in  the  province  of 
Zealand,  in  the  Netherlands,  Europe.  He  emi¬ 
grated  with  his  parents  to  America  in  1849,  settled 
in  Holland,  Michigan.  After  leaving  school  he  learned 
the  shoemaker’s  trade.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  25th 
Michigan  Infantry,  and  participated  in  most  of  the  great 
battles  fought  during  the  war.  He  was  honorably  dis¬ 
charged  in  1865.  Soon  after,  he  engaged  as  a  sailor  on 
the  lakes,  and  continued  that  occupation  upwards  of 
seven  years.  In  1872  he  was  elected  Marshal,  in  the 
city  of  Holland,  and  served  in  that  capacity  about  four 
years.  In  1876  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Ottawa  County, 
and  removed  to  the  city  of  Grand  Haven,  where  he  now 
resides.  In  politics,  Mr.  Verplanke  is  a  Democrat.  He 


is  a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  He  was 
married,  December  18,  1866,  to  Miss - ,  of  Hol¬ 

land;  their  family  consists  of  four  sons.  Mr.  Verplanke 
is  an  honest,  upright  man,  and  ranks  as  one  of  Grand 
Haven’s  prominent  citizens. 

- - - 

^  -ToIGT,  carl  G.  a..  Merchant,  Grand  Rapids, 
born  in  the  year  1833,  in  Wennungen,  prov- 
ince  of  Saxony,  Prussia.  His  father,  A.  A.  Voigt, 
was  a  baker  and  confectioner  of  the  place.  His  mother’s 
maiden  name  was  Johanna  Schegel.  Soon  after  the 
birth  of  Carl  Voigt,  his  parents  removed  to  Mucheln, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools.  When  he  was 
thirteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sailed  for  the  United 
States,  arriving  in  New  York  in  September,  1847.  As 
the  prospects  farther  west  appeared  brighter,  the  fam¬ 
ily  went  to  Chicago.  Not  satisfied  there,  they  went 
on  to  Michigan  City,  Indiana,  where  the  father  pur¬ 
chased  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  immediately  began  its 
cultivation,  and,  in  a  few  years,  had  as  fine  a  farm  as 
could  be  found  in  that  section  of  country.  Carl  Voigt, 
having  a  distaste  for  farming,  entered  a  store,  where,  for 
ten  years,  he  served  as  clerk.  For  the  first  year’s  service, 
he  received  six  dollars  per  month  and  board;  for  the  last 
year’s,  one  thousand  dollars.  In  1865  he  opened  a  store 
of  his  own  in  Michigan  City;  and,  during  the  same  year, 
took  W.  G.  Herpolsheimer  as  partner.  In  this  business 
they  were  very  successful,  owing  to  fair  dealing,  strict 
attention  to  business,  and  careful  economy.  In  1870 
they  started  a  branch  house  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
where  Mr.  Herpolsheimer  removed  to  take  charge  of  the 
business.  This  increased  to  such  an  extent  that,  instead 
of  being  a  branch,  it  soon  became  the  central  business 
house  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Voigt  remained  at  Michigan  City 
until  1875,  when  he  associated  himself,  in  partnership 
with  S.  Mangold’  and  C.  Kusterer,  in  the  Star  Mills,  of 
Grand  Rapids,  in  which  city  he  has  since  resided.  He 
was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  and  was  a  member 
of  that  church  until  his  removal  to  Grand  Rapids. 
When  twenty-one  years  old,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Fraternity,  and  is  now  a  Master  Mason.  Dur¬ 
ing  his  residence  in  Michigan  City,  he  was  Secretary  of 
Lodge  No.  83  for  six  years.  Mr.  Voigt  was  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education  and  City  Treasurer  of  Michi¬ 
gan  City.  He  married,  on  the  23d  of  December,  i860. 
Miss  Elizabeth  Wooster,  youngest  daughter  of  Conrad 
Wooster.  They  have  a  family  of  five  children,- — Frank, 
Clara,  Emma,  Amanda,  and  Carl.  Mr.  Voigt  is  a  strict 
business  man,  honorable  in  all  his  dealings.  He  is  a 
reliable  counselor,  and  is  respected  by  the  entire  commu¬ 
nity.  He  is  one  of  the  purely  self-made  men  of  the 
State  of  Michigan. 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


[|HITE,  HON.  GEORGE  H.,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich¬ 
igan,  was  born  at  Dresden,  Yates  County,  New 
V  York,  September  9,  1822.  His  father,  Joseph 
White,  a  mechanic  and  farmer,  and  his  mother,  Lucy  (Row- 
ley)  White,  born  near  Watkins,  at  the  head  of  Seneca  Lake, 
were  the  parents  of  five  children.  But  two  of  these,  Wil¬ 
liam  B.  and  the  oldest  son,  George  H.  White,  are  now  liv¬ 
ing.  Mr.  White  attended  the' schools  of  his’ native  town 
until  he  reached  his  thirteenth  year,  when  he  went  with 
his  grandfather,  Ezra  Rowley,  to  Fountain  County,  Indi¬ 
ana.  There  he  worked  one  year  on  his  grandfather’s  farm ; 
and,  in  1836,  entered  as  junior  clerk  a  store  at  Portland,  in 
the  same  county.  A  year  later,  he  went  to  Covington,  the 
county-seat,  and  was  a  clerk  there  until  1842,  when  he  re¬ 
moved  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  He  arrived  on  the  2d 
of  May,  and  at  once  obtained  a  position  in  the  store  of  A. 
&  G.  B.  Rathbun,  where  he  remained  till  1844.  In  that 
year,  he  was  elected  Register  of  Deeds  of  Kent  County, 
and  held  the  office,  peforming  its  duties  satisfactorily,  for 
two  y-ears.  While  thus  engaged,  he  was  also  a  silent  part¬ 
ner  of  Amos  Rathbun,  in  the  dry-goods  trade.  Subse¬ 
quently,  having  engaged,  with  his  partner,  in  the  lumber 
business,  he  conducted  a  store,  for  five  years,  at  Rockford, 
Kent  County,  a  village  about  twelve  miles  from  Grand 
Rapids.  He  then  returned  to  Grand  Rapids,  but,  until 
1865,  did  not  dispose  of  his  interests  at  Rockford,  nor 
sever  his  connection  with  Mr.  Rathbun.  Soon  after  his 
return,  he  officiated  one  term  on  the  Board  of  Supervi¬ 
sors  of  Kent  County.  In  the  spring  of  1861,  he  was  made 
Mayor  of  the  city,  and  re-elected  in  1862.  In  the  fall 
of  the  same  year,  he  was  chosen  Representative  for  the 
Grand  Rapids  District  to  the  State  Legislature,  and 
served  two  years.  In  1863,  in  connection  with  William 
T.  Powers,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  at 
Rouge  River  and  Grand  Rapids.  For  three  years  they 
did  a  successful  business,  and  then  dissolved  the  partner¬ 
ship.  In  1865  White,  with  Amos  Rathbun  and 

Alfred  D.  Rathbone,  under  the  firm  name  of  George  H. 
White  &Co.,  purchased  what  is  known  as  the  “Old ’Plas¬ 
ter  Mill,”  and,  in  connection  with  it,  four  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  of  land.  This  mill  is  located  near  the 
southern  limit  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  was  the  first  of  the 
kind  ever  erected  in  the  State.  It  is  used  for  crushing 
and  grinding  the  well-known  Grand  Rapids  gypsum; 
which,  when  ground,  is  a  valuable  fertilizer  of  clay  and 
sandy  soils.  Mr.  White  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Grand 
Rapids  and  Indiana  Railroad  Company;  and,  having  been 
elected  one  of  its  Directors  in  1867,  has  devoted  much  of 
his  time  to  its  interests.  He  also  became  a  member  of  the 
Continental  Improvement  Company,  through  whose  efforts 
the  road  was  completed  from  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  to 
Little  Traverse  Bay,  in  Northern  Michigan.  In  partner¬ 
ship  with  Amos  Rathbun,  he  built,  in  the  city  of  Grand 
Rapids,  nine  stores  on  Monroe  street,  and,  in  1874,  one- 
third  of  the  Aldrich,  Godfrey  &  White  block,  on  the  same 


13I 

street.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city, 
being  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet  front,  by  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  twelve  feet  deep,  and  four  stories  high  above 
the  basement.  The  walls  of  the  basement  are  built  of 
stone,  and  the  apartments  are  finished,  as  well  as  those 
above,  in  the  best  style  for  business  offices.  Mr.  White 
is  also  a  large  dealer  in  real  estate,  and  one  of  the  owners 
of  Godfrey  &  White’s  addition  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  city.  Mr.  White  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Fraternity  since  1861.  He  has  been  an  Odd-Fellow  since 
1848,  and  is  a  charter-member  of  the  eleventh  lodge 
organized  in  Michigan.  He  is  also  a  Knight  of  Pythias. 
His  religious  views  are  liberal,  inclining  to  Universalism ; 
but  his  family  are  regular  attendants  at  St.  Mark’s  Epis¬ 
copal  Church.  He  was  a  Whig  until  the  dissolution  of 
that  party,  when  he  became  a  Democrat.  On  December 
12,  1853,  he  married,  at  Rockford,  Kent  County,  Mich¬ 
igan,  Miss  Sarah  A.  Hetfield,  of  Covington,  Fountain 
County,  Indiana.  From  this  union  have  been  born  two 
daughters, —  Miss  Georgiana  Rathbun  and  Hattie  Hetfield 
White.  At  all  times  ready  to  forward  the  public  interests, 
and  those  improvements  by  which  the  city  of  Grand  Rap¬ 
ids  has  reached  its  present  importance,  he  has  performed 
the  duties  of  a  public-spirited  citizen.  The  business  life  of 
Mr.  White  has  been  remarkably  prosperous.  As  a  youth 
he  was  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  exertions.  With 
no  capital  but  that  which,  by  careful  saving  and  self- 
denial,  he  acquired  during  his  minority,  he  has  by  his 
intelligence  and  determination  attained  a  position  of  inde¬ 
pendence  and  prominence  among  the  self-made  men  of 
Michigan.  He  has  risen  at  the  expense  of  no  man,  but  by 
treating  all  as  he  would  be  treated  himself.  While  winning 
wealth,  position,  and  influence,  at  the  same  time  he  has 
gained  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


|EBBER,  SAMUEL  W.,  Banker  and  Capitalist, 
1 1  of  Muir,  Ionia  County,  was  born  in  Newbui-y, 
Vermont,  May  25,  1823.  His  parents,  Andrew 
J.  and  Sophie  (Wilkins)  Webber,  were  both  descended 
from  early  settlers  in  Vermont.  His  father  was  engaged 
in  farming,  and,  when  Mr.  Samuel  W.  Webber  was  four 
years  old,  moved  from  Vermont  to  Steuben  County,  New 
York.  Samuel  was  one  of  a  family  of  six  brothers,  and, 
until  he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  spent  his  time  in  farm 
work,  and  in  attending  the  common  school  in  winter. 
In  1846  he  was  enabled,  by  running  a  little  in  debt,  to 
buy  his  father’s  farm.  In  the  same  year,  June  27,  he 
married  Miss  Marietta  Bowen,  who,  after  sharing  his 
burdens  until  April  2,  1859,  died,  leaving  two  sons. 
After  spending  a  year  in  mercantile  business,  in  Steu¬ 
ben  County,  Mr.  Webber  sold  his  land,  and,  with  his 


132 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OE  MICHIGAN. 


family,  joined  the  great  tide  of  Western  emigration. 
He  had  never  visited  that  part  of  the  country,  but,  at¬ 
tracted  by  the  glowing  accounts  of  the  Grand  River  Val¬ 
ley,  decided  to  settle  in  Portland,  Ionia  County.  There 
he  located  some  new  land,  and  spent  four  years  in  bring¬ 
ing  it  under  cultivation.  This  he  considered  the  hardest 
work  of  his  life.  During  this  time  occurred  his  wife’s 
death.  Shortly  after,  he  Sold  his  Portland  farm,  and,  in 
1859,  moved  to  the  village  of  Lyons,  and  engaged  in 
general  mercantile  business.  He  soon  bought  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  cultivated  in  con¬ 
nection  with  his  other  occupations.  By  subsequent  pur¬ 
chase,  this  farm  has  been  increased  to  five  hundred  acres. 
In  1868,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  George  W. 
Webber,  he  opened  a  private  bank  in  Muir.  This 
partnership  continued  four  years,  when  Mr.  S.  W.  Web¬ 
ber  bought  his  brother’s  interest.  The  next  year  he 
purchased  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Eirst  National 
Bank  at  Muir,  with  which  he  has  since  been  connected 
as  President.  He  still  cultivates  his  farm  in  Lyons,  and 
spends  much  of  his  time  there  in  summer.  Although 
he  is  a  successful  business  man,  he  experiences  keen  de¬ 
light  in  attending  to  his  farm  labors.  At  Lyons,  in  June, 
1861,  he  married  Marian  N.  Bowen,  sister  of  his  first 
wife.  They  have  one  son,  who  is  now  ten  years  old. 
The  eldest  son,  George  B.  Webber,  died  in  1871,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four;  he  was,  at  that  time,  cashier  of  the 
bank.  Plis  second  son,  William  A.  Webber,  is  now 
twenty-five  years  old,  and  is  engaged  in  the  bank  with 
his  father.  Mr.  Webber  professes  no  form  of  religious 
belief,  although  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  churches  of 
every  denomination.  He  has  invariably  and  consistently 
avoided  the  responsibilities  of  public  life,  declining  to 
become  a  candidate  for  any  official  position.  Pie  is  a 
man  of  medium  height,  kindly  expression,  and  shrewd, 
penetrating  gaze.  He  is  universally  respected  and  es¬ 
teemed. 

- - K>< - 

^IJIIIeED,  DR.  EVERETT  D.,  of  Grand  Haven, 
^  T  II  born  in  Laporte  County,  Indi- 

ana,  September  29,  1846.  He  was  the  son  of 
Enos  and  Martha  J.  (Waite)  Weed.  His  grandfather, 
Lewis  Weed,  married,  when  he  was  eighteen  years 
old,  Esther  Stebbins,  who  was  a  year  younger.  They 
brought  up  a  family  of  seventeen  children,  fourteen  of 
whom  lived  until  the  youngest  was  thirty-two  years  old. 
In  1837  they  emigrated  West,  where  they  lived  to  an 
advanced  age.  Dr.  Weed  attended  the  district  school 
until  he  was  fifteen,  and  afterwards  studied  two  terms  at 
the  Methodist  Collegiate  Institute,  at  New  Carlisle,  In¬ 
diana.  In  1864,  being  then  only  seventeen,  he  enlisted 
in  the  128th  Regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry; 
and  was,  for  many  months,  constantly  engaged  in  skir¬ 


mishing  under  Sherman,  against  Hood  and  Johnston. 
He  served  acceptably  at  Marietta,  Georgia,  as  hospital 
steward  until  his  eighteenth  birthday,  when  he  received 
a  furlough,  enabling  him  to  go  home.  On  his  return, 
he  taught  a  district  school  for  several  terms,  and  devoted 
his  leisure  time  to  the  study  of  medicine.  In  1868  he 
entered  into  the  drug  business  at  New  Buffalo,  Michi¬ 
gan.  He  continued  his  studies,  and  accompanied  his 
preceptor  on  professional  visits.  In  the  winter  of  1870 
and  1871  he  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  Rush  Medi¬ 
cal  College,  and  graduated  with  honor  at  the  Detroit 
Homeopathic  College  in  1874.  He  had,  meanwhile, 
left  New  Buffalo,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Dowagiac.  There  he  became  very  success¬ 
ful,  and  remained  until  1877,  when  he  removed  to 
Grand  Haven.  Dr.  Weed  is  a  consistent  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Pie  is  a  man  of 
strong  intellect,  and  possesses  a  social,  genial  nature. 
His  conversation  abounds  in  ready  wit  and  inexhausti¬ 
ble  humor.  By  ability  and  industry,  he  has  already 
secured,  in  Grand  Haven,  a  position  which  promises 
him  a  wide  sphere  of  usefulness.  Dr.  Weed  has  deter¬ 
mined  to  remove  from  Grand  Plaven  to  Detroit,  Michi¬ 
gan,  where  he  will  enter  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro¬ 
fession. 

- K>« - 

^  ^^EBSTER,  JAMES  M.,  of  Portland,  Ionia  County, 
hlichigan,  was  born  in  Rush,  Monroe  County, 
New  York,  December  9,  1822.  His  parents, 
Ira  and  Amelia  (Morse)  Webster,  were  married  in  1821, 
and  emigrated  to  New  York  from  Connecticut.  His 
mother  died  when  he  was  six  months  old,  and  her  place 
was  supplied  to  him  by  Derna  (Welch)  Morse,  whom 
his  father  married  in  August,  1823.  She  has  been  a 
kind  and  faithful  mother,  and  is  still  living  in  Portland, 
in  her  seventy-eighth  year.  Ira  Webster  was  successfully 
engaged  in  milling  and  mercantile  business  in  New 
York  State  until  1837,  when  he  moved  to  Michigan. 
He  there  settled  on  tw'elve  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land  which  he  had  purchased  in  Ionia  County,  embrac¬ 
ing  sections  ten,  eleven,  fourteen,  fifteen  and  sixteen. 
He  built  on  the  southern  half  of  section  ten,  in  what 
is  now  Portland  Township.  James  M.  Webster  was  an 
only  child.  He  received  the  ordinary  advantages  of 
a  common-school  education  in  New  York;  and,  after 
having  been  seven  years  in  Michigan,  attended  the 
academy  at  East  Henrietta,  New  York,  for  one  year. 
While  his  father  lived,  James  M.  assisted  him  on  the  farm, 
and  afterwards  carried  on  the  work  till  five  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  the  land  were  cleared.  He  spent  three  years, 
from  the  spring  of  i860  to  1863,  in  California.  He  has 
been  engaged,  at  intervals,  in  various  mercantile  pur¬ 
suits;  always,  however,  returning  to  his  farm,  on  w-hich 
he  still  spends  the  greater  part  of  his  time.  He  was  in 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


133 


partnership  with  William  Spear  nine  months ;  with  W. 
W.  Bogue  three  months;  and,  for  one  year,  conducted  the 
same  business  alone.  For  five  years  he  has  been  one 
of  the  firm  of  Smith,  Benedict  &  Webster,  who  manufac¬ 
ture  church  and  school  furniture,  on  the  west  side  of 
Grand  River,  at  Portland.  He  has  repeatedly  held  the 
offices  of  Township  Treasurer  and  Highway  Commis¬ 
sioner;  and,  in  1859,  was  one  of  the  appraisers  of  the 
Detroit  and  Milwaukee  Railroad.  He  was  initiated  into 
the  Masonic  Fraternity  in  1866,  and  has  held  all  the  im¬ 
portant  offices  in  the  Lodge  and  Commandery.  He  is 
also  a  Knight  Templar.  In  1869  he  was  commissioned 
First  Lieutenant  in  an  independent  company,  and  became 
attached  to  the  27th  Michigan  Infantry.  He  cast  his  first 
vote  for  Martin  Van  Buren,  and  has  always  been  a  Dem¬ 
ocrat.  He  is  connected  with  no  particular  religious 
organization,  but  contributes  freely  to  the  support  of  all. 
He  believes  that  the  principles  underlying  honesty,  so¬ 
briety,  and  morality  are  independent  of  any  special 
dogma  or  creed.  Mr.  Webster  married,  June  23,  1869, 
Mary  E.  Bailey,  of  Portland.  They  have  four  children. 
Few  men  are  better  known  or  more  generally  respected 
in  the  community  than  James  M.  Webster. 

- K>« - - 

^'jf^HITE,  THOMAS' STEWART,  of  Grand  Haven, 
^  1  ll  Michigan,  was  born  at  Grand  Haven,  June  28, 
1840.  His  parents,  Thomas  W.  and  Caroline 
(Morton)  White,  were  natives  of  New  England.  In 
1859,  after  leaving  school,  he  entered  the  banking  house 
of  Ferry  &  Son,  where  he  served  as  clerk  for  three 
years.  Finding  that  the  confinement  injured  his  health, 
he  secured  a  position,  in  1863,  as  shipping  clerk  with 
Gray,  Phelps  &  Co.,  of  Chicago.  Two  years  later,  he 
again  entered  Ferry  &  Son’s  bank,  as  cashier.  In  1867 
he  and  Heber  Squire  formed  the  firm  of  Squire  &  White, 
tug  owners,  general  contractors,  and  ship  builders.  He 
suggested  the  idea  of  a  barge  line  for  transporting 
freight  between  Chicago  and  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan;  and  founded  the  firm  of  Kirby,  Furlong  & 
Co;,  which  established  the  line  of  Kirby  barges.  In 
1869  he  disposed  of  his  interest  in  this  business,  and 
became  associated  with  Thomas  Friant,  under  the  firm 
name  of  White  &  Friant,  lumbermen  and  log-runners. 
All  logs  sawed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  River  passed 
through  their  hands,  and  were  delivered  to  the  different 
mills.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  White  became  connected 
with  J.  M.  Avery,  at  Grand  Rapids,  in  a  saw-mill. 
This  firm  was  merged  into  that  of  Robinson,  Solomon 
&  Co.,  manufacturers  of  rough  and  dressed  lumber, 
sashes,  doors,  blinds,  etc.  Mr.  White  saw  the  urgent 
necessity  for  a  fire  department  in  Grand  Haven;  and, 
with  his  accustomed  energy,  started  one  in  1869,  which, 
at  the  end  of  two  years,  was  second  to  none  in  the  State 


in  efficiency  and  appointments.  On  the  organization  of 
the  First  National  Bank,  in  1871,  he  was  chosen  one  of 
its  Directors.  In  1872  he  was  elected  Director  of  the 
Wait  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  he  was  after¬ 
wards  made  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  Mr.  White  was 
educated  a  Presbyterian,  and  has,  for  years,  been  an 
active  supporter  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
Grand  Haven.  Although  not  a  member  of  the  Church, 
he  is  an  observer  of  the  obligations  that  give  stability 
and  value  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  He 
married,  April  20,  1870,  Mary  E.  Daniel,  of  Milwaukee. 
They  have  two  children.  Mr.  White  is  an  unassuming 
man  with  shrewd  business  talents.  He  is  liberal  to  all 
worthy  charities.  Many,  who  are  now  prosperous  busi¬ 
ness  men,  have  received  from  him  encouragement  and 
material  assistance.  Thorough  attention  to  the  minutest 
details  of  his  various  financial  enterprises  has  been  one 
of  the  strongest  elements  of  his  success. 


bOODWORTH,  HON.  W.  H.,  Judge  of  Probate 
for  Ionia  County,  was  born  in  Dorchester,  Graf- 
ton  County,  New  Hampshire,  January  14,  1828. 
Plis  parents,  George  and  Louisa  H.  Woodworth,  were 
old  residents  of  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  William  H. 
Woodworth  was  the  second  of  a  family  of  twelve  chil¬ 
dren  ;  and,  until  he  was  twelve  years  old,  had  the  educa¬ 
tional  advantages  afforded  by  the  common  schools  of 
New  Hampshire  forty  years  ago.  At  that  age,  he  com¬ 
menced  work  as  bobbin-boy  in  the  Stark  Mills,  in  Man¬ 
chester,  New  Hampshire.  He  remained  there  until  he 
was  nineteen,  when  he  went  to  Salmon  Falls,  New 
Plampshire,  to  assist  in  starting  some  new  cotton  ma¬ 
chinery.  He  continued  to  work  in  this  place  until  he 
was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  the  last  two  years  acting 
as  overseer  of  a  weaving-room  employing  one  hundred 
and  twenty  operatives.  In  1853,  finding  the  cotton 
factory  a  too  limited  sphere  for  life,  he  removed  to  Ver¬ 
mont,  and  spent  a  year  in  farming.  Early  in  1855  he 
started  on  a  prospecting  trip  in  the  West;  and,  in  May 
of  that  year,  located  in  Portland,  Ionia  County,  Michi¬ 
gan.  In  the  fall  of  1856,  he  removed  to  Lyons,  in  the 
same  county,  where  he  now  resides.  He  has  been  en¬ 
gaged  in  various  business  enterprises,  principally  in  the 
manufacture  of  hard-wood  lumber  and  in  farming,  and 
has  usually  been  successful.  In  the  year  1859,  he  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Ionia  County,  holding 
the  office  for  one  term,  of  four  years.  When  his  term 
expired,  he  declined  to  accept  the  renomination.  In 
1866  he  was  elected  Supervisor,  and  was  re-elected  for 
six  consecutive  years.  In  1872  he  was  elected  Probate 
Judge  of  Ionia  County,  and  was  again  elected  in  1876, 
holding  the  office  up  to  the  present  time.  During  his 
residence  at  Salmon  Falls,  he  united  with  the  Congre- 


^34 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


gational  Church;  but,  as  there  is  no  organization  of 
that  society  in  his  vicinity,  he  has  been  connected  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  since  his  removal  to  Michigan. 
In  1865  he  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly,  at 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  as  Commissioner  from  the  Pres¬ 
bytery  of  Grand  Rapids.  In  politics,  he  has  been  asso¬ 
ciated,  first,  with  the  Whig,  and,  since  its  organization, 
with  the  Republican,  party;  first  exercising  his  right  of 
franchise,  in  1852,  in  favor  of  General  Scott.  In  1849 
he  married  Miss  Caroline  M.  Balch,  daughter  of  Aden 
Balch,  of  Lunenburg,  Vermont.  They  have  had  three 
children,  of  whom  only  one,  a  son,  survives.  Mr. 
Woodworth  is  a  man  of  plain,  unpretending  demeanor, 
and  unassuming  manners;  he  is  courteous  to  all.  Few 
have  so  well  merited  the  respect  and  confidence  of  their 
fellow-citizens,  and  are  so  deservedly  popular.  He  dis¬ 
charges  his  duties  with  energy  and  fidelity,  and  is  a 
man  of  acknowledged  substantial  acquirements,  and  irre¬ 
proachable  character. 

— -*<>. - 

JiTjl^NSOR,  ZENAS  G.,  Merchant,  of  Grand  Ha- 
ven,  Ottawa  County,  was  born  in  Skaneateles, 
New  York,  December  14,  1814,  and  is  the  old¬ 
est  son  of  Darius  and  Sallie  Winsor,  natives  of  Smith- 
field,  Rhode  Island.  They  moved  to  Ionia,  Michigan, 
in  the  spring  of  1833,  and  died  at  Grand  Rapids  in  1855. 
Mr.  Winsor  received  a  fair  education  in  the  English 
branches.  In  1830  his  father,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  near  Syracuse,  New  York,  lost,  by  fire, 
mills  and  lumber  valued  at  over  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
By  this  misfortune  he  became  bankrupt;  and,  for  two 
years,  under  the  then  supposed  humane  laws  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  broken  in  spirits  and  health,  was 
imprisoned  for  debts  which  he  was  unable  to  pay.  The 
support  of  the  family,  including  five  young  children, 
then  devolved  upon  Zenas  G.  Winsor  and  a  younger 
brother.  In  those  early  trials  his  strength  and  firmness 
were  matured.  He  immediately  left  school,  and  worked 
as  clerk  in  a  store,  and  as  assistant  to  a  physician,  dur¬ 
ing  the  fearful  cholera  season  of  1832.  The  following 
spring,  with  a  party  of  sixty-three  persons  from  Her¬ 
kimer  and  Oneida  counties,  the  family  removed  to  Michi¬ 
gan.  They  left  the  steamer  at  Detroit,  and,  with  horse 
and  ox  teams,  started  for  Grand  River.  The  last  sixty 
miles  of  their  route  was  an  untried  road  through  heavily 
timbered  lands  in  the  counties  of  Shiawassee,  Clinton,  and 
Ionia.  After  a  journey  of  fourteen  days,  they  reached 
the  place  on  which  Ionia  now  stands,  and  found  it  occu¬ 
pied  by  Indians  with  their  bark  wigwams  and  corn¬ 
fields.  These,  furnishing  the  much-needed  shelter  and 
food,  they  purchased  from  the  Indians,  and  regarded  as  a 
God-send.  This  was  the  first  white  settlement  below  Jack- 
son,  on  or  near  Grand  River, ^ — -where,  at  the  present  time. 


there  are  not  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
inhabitants.  In  the  spring  of  1834,  Mr.  Winsor  was 
engaged  by  Mr.  Rix  Robinson,  in  the  interest  of  the 
American  Fur  Comjiany,  to  take  charge  of  their  Indian 
trading-post  at  the  mouth  of  Grand  River.  There  he 
was  surrounded  only  by  Indians  and  French  loggers,  and 
was  forced  to  conform  largely  to  their  habits  and  cus¬ 
toms, —  not  seeing  any  one  for  six  months  who  could 
speak  English.  The  following  year,  Mr.  Robinson,  with 
his  usual  sagacity,  recognized  the  opening  for  trade 
among  the  Indians,  and  the  whites  who  were  fast  set¬ 
tling  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  proposed  to  furnish  a  stock 
of  goods  on  condition  that  Mr.  Winsor,  then  under 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  would  transact  the  business 
and  share  the  profits  equally.  In  furtherance  of  this 
plan,  Mr.  Winsor,  bearing  a  letter  of  credit  from  Mr. 
Robinson  to  John  Jacob  Astor,  President  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Fur  Company,  proceeded  to  New  York.  Mr.  Akor, 
while  willing  to  furnish  goods  suited  to  the  needs  of  the 
whites,  declined  to  give  any  that  would  conflict  with  the 
Indian  trade  on  Grand  River.  Mr.  Winsor,  declining  a 
partial  stock,  retired,  and  resigned  his  position  with  Mr. 
Robinson.  In  1836,  a  Government  Land  Office  being 
established  at  Ionia,  Mr.  Winsor,  in  connection  with 
Edward  P.  Macy,  of  New  York,  opened  a  banking  and 
exchange  office.  They  carried  this  on  until  the  issuing 
of  the  Specie  Circular  at  Washington,  requiring  all  lands 
to  be  paid  for  in  specie;  and,  in  the  short  period  of 
about  four  months,  netted  ten  thousand  dollars.  This 
was  Mr.  Winsor’s  first  marked  pecuniary  success.  The 
following  four  years  were  spent  in  improving  a  large 
farm  and  in  selling  goods.  Mr.  Winsor  was  married  in 
1838,  and  removed  to  Grand  Rapids  in  1840,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  pails,  tubs,  sashes,  blinds, 
etc.  Selling  this  establishment  in  1844,  he  opened  a 
store,  with  a  younger  brother,  Jacob  W.  Winsor.  They 
dealt  in  merchandise;  manufactured  lumber  on  Rcuge 
and  Flat  rivers;  and  had  a  lumber-yard  in  Kenosha, 
Wisconsin.  In  the  summer  of  1851,  he  closed  his  busi¬ 
ness,  and,  in  the  fall,  went  to  California.  Pie  spent 
about  two  years  traveling  in  California,  Mexico,  and 
South  America.  On  returning  to  Grand  Rapids,  he  en¬ 
gaged  with  Daniel  Ball  in  organizing  and  running  steam¬ 
boats  on  Grand  River.  He  abandoned  this  in  1859, 
and,  going  to  Pennsylvania,  became  President  and  Man¬ 
ager  of  the  Tioga  County  Bank.  In  i860  he  returned 
to  Grand  Rapids,  and  engaged  in  the  sale  of  dry  goods 
until  1863.  Plaving  a  large  investment  in  Nevada  silver 
mines,  he  sold  his  establishment,  and  went  to  that  Ter¬ 
ritory.  After  remaining  three  months,  he  discovered 
that  his  investment  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  was  irrev¬ 
ocably  lost.  He  then  returned  to  New  York  City,  op¬ 
erated  moderately  in  stock,  and  purchased  and  shipped 
goods  to  resell  to  merchants  in  Grand  Rapids.  In  1866 
Mr.  Winsor  went  to  Petrolea,  Canada,  where  he  engaged 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


135 


in  opening  and  operating  oil  wells,  purchasing  and  sell¬ 
ing  oil.  In  1868  he  entered  upon  the  mercantile,  for¬ 
warding,  and  commission  business,  in  Grand  Haven, 
Michigan,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  sixty-three 
years  of  age,  and  enjoys  perfect  health,  his  life  having 
been  most  abstemious.  He  has  never  drank  liquor  in 
any  form,  smoked  tobacco  nor  joined  in  a  dance,  either 
public  or  private. 


jjTjT'lNCHELL,  HON.  JEROME,  Editor  and  Pub- 
lisher  of  The  Republic,  Plainwell,  Michigan,  was 
'^Aborn  near  the  present  village  of  Kingsbury,  La- 
porte  County,  Indiana,  June  8,  1846.  He  is  the  son  of 
Jesse  H.  and  Lucy  F.  Winchell.  His  father  early  moved 
to  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin ;  and,  two  years  later,  to 
Minnesota,  then  an  unbroken  wilderness,  inhabited  by 
Indians.  There  were  no  schools  in  the  vicinity;  but  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  Mr.  Winchell,  by  careful  study  at 
home,  had  prepared  himself  for  teaching.  He  alternated 
that  employment  with  frequent  terms  at  the  nearest  acad¬ 
emy;  and,  finally,  at  the  Methodist  school.  Hamline 
tjniversity.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  entered  the  office 
of  the  Freeborn  County  Standard,  as  local  editor,  and 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  printing.  He  also  spent  sev¬ 
eral  years  in  St.  Paul  and  Chicago  offices.  In  1871  he 
removed  to  Michigan,  and  established  The  Republic  at 
Plainwell,  Allegan  County,  his  present  home.  In  1873 
he  married  Miss  I.  Evelyn  Still,  daughter  of  Major  Wm. 
Still,  the  first  settler,  and  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
of  the  village.  Mr.  Winchell  has  been  closely  identified 
with  many  of  the  public  improvements  of  Plainwell. 
He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Union  Agricultural 
and  Industrial  Society,  and  has  been,  for  several  years 
past,  its  Secretary.  In  the  fall  of  1876,  as  Republican 
candidate,  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  eastern  district 
of  Allegan  County  in  the  Lower  House  of  the  State  Leg¬ 
islature,  receiving  a  large  majority  of  votes  over  a  very 
popular  opponent. 

- •o* - 

^  ji^IELSON,  JAMES  B.,  Lawyer  and  Circuit  Court 
3  ||  |rS  Commissioner,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was 
born,  October  14,  1823,  at  Chagrin,  now  Wil¬ 
loughby,  Lake  County,  Ohio.  He  was  the  only  son  of 
Samuel  and  Sarah  M.  Willson.  He  pursued  his  pre¬ 
paratory  studies  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  graduated 
from  the  Western  Reserve  College,  in  1846.  He  studied 
law  in  the  law  school  at  Yale  College,  and,  in  1848, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Akron,  Summit  County, 
Ohio.  In  that  place,  he  at  once  commenced  practice, 
in  which  he  was  actively  engaged  until  1859.  He  then 
removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  has 


since  remained.  In  1870  he  was  first  elected  Cir¬ 
cuit  Court  Commissioner,  and  has  held  the  office  con¬ 
tinuously  since  that  time.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church ;  and,  for  the  last  three  or  four 
years,  has  been  one  of  its  deacons.  In  politics,  he  is 
identified  with  the  Republican  party.  Mr.  Willson 
ranks  among  the  ablest  and  most  reliable  lawyers  of 
Western  Michigan;  his  reputation  resting  chielly  upon 
his  sound  knowledge,  and  generally  correct  application, 
of  the  common  law.  As  a  citizen,  he  is  held  in  high 
esteem.  In  social  and  domestic  life,  he  is  a  genial  com¬ 
panion  and  a  courteous  gentleman ;  in  business  trans¬ 
actions,  he  is  scrupulously  honest  and  honorable;  in  all 
respects,  his  character  stands  high  with  those  who 
know  him.  Mr.  Willson  married,  January  10,  1849, 
Charlotte  O.  Booth.  They  have  two  sons, — Theodore 
B.  and  Arthur  H.  Willson. 


«ILLIAMS,  HON.  ALBERT,  of  Ionia,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Halifax,  Windham  County,  Ver- 
■  mont,  February  8,  1817.  Many  of  his  relatives, 
particularly  on  his  father’s  side,  have  gained  distinction 
for  integrity,  energy,  and  ability.  Indeed,  so  far  as  is 
known,  no  one  of  them  has  fallen  below  good  character, 
ordinary  intelligence,  and  success.  His  great-grand¬ 
father,  William  Williams,  was  a  native  of  Wales.  He 
came  to  America,  and  settled  at  Stonington,  Connecti¬ 
cut,  at  an  early  period  of  life,  where  his  three  chil¬ 
dren, —  William,  Henry,  and  Elizabeth, —  were  born. 
He  was  a  man  of  courage  and  adventure.  He  became 
a  sea-captain;  and,  with  his  oldest  son  William,  was  re¬ 
ported  to  have  perished  at  sea  by  shipwreck.  It  was 
gravely  suspected,  however,  that  they  were  victims  of  a 
mutinous  crew.  Rev.  Henry  Williams,  the  grandfather 
of  Albert,  was  born  in  1746.  He  graduated  at  Yale 
College,  Connecticut ;  became  a  Congregational  minister, 
and  was  the  first  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church  of  the  town  of  Leverett,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  died  November  20,  1811,  aged  sixty-six  years.  He 
was  eminent  for  his  talents  and  piety.  He  was  twice 
married;  the  second  time,  to  Miss  Susanna  Stowell,  a 
lady  of  rare  ability,  dignity,  and  excellence  of  character. 
Of  these  marriages  were  born  six  children,  viz:  Nathan, 
of  the  first,  and  Avery,  Henry,  Sally,  Susanna,  and 
Eliza,  of  the  second.  Nathan  became  a  merchant; 
Avery  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College,  Massachusetts, 
entered  upon  the  ministry,  and  became  an  able  and 
eloquent  Congregational  preacher.  Sally  and  Susanna 
married  good  business  men ;  and  Eliza,  losing  her  first 
husband,  Mr.  Earnham,  a  lawyer,  married  Rev.  Samuel 
Leonard,  a  Presbyterian  minister.  Both  of  these  sisters 
are  now  living  at  West  Monroe,  New  York;  the  other 
children  are  dead.  Dr.  Henry  Williams,  the  father  of 


136 


reprp:sentative  men  of  Michigan. 


Albert,  was  born  in  Leverett,  in  1786.  He  received  a 
good  classical  education,  and  became  an  excellent  phy¬ 
sician  and  surgeon.  He  was  a  studious  man,  and  was 
distinguished  for  his  moral  and  Christian  character.  He 
not  only  wrote  and  published  poetry,  but  he  composed 
and  delivered  a  number  of  public  addresses  on  temper¬ 
ance,  medicine,  history,  politics,  and  other  important 
subjects.  He  was  an  Assistant  Surgeon  in  a  Vermont 
regiment  during  the  greater  part  of  the  War  of  1812. 
June  14,  1808,  he  married  Miss  Judith  Corkins.  They 
had  eight  children, — -Elenry,  Avery,  Nathan,  Eliia, 
Albert,  Henry,  Sally,  and  Bertrand.  Dr.  Henry  Will¬ 
iams  was  living  in  Halifax,  Vermont,  when  Albert  was 
born.  From  that  place,  hfe  removed  to  New  Berlin,  Che¬ 
nango  County,  New  York,  in  the  fall  of  1827,  and  re¬ 
mained  until  the  autumn  of  1830.  Ele  then  removed  to 
Norwich,  in  the  same  county;  thence  to  Solon,  Cort¬ 
land  County,  New  York,  in  the  spring  of  1831;  in  1834 
he  removed  to  West  Monroe,  Oswego  County,  New 
York,  where  he  died,  April  16,  1843,  aged  almost  fifty- 
seven  years.  Of  his  children,  only  Avery,  a  farmer  in 
New  Berlin,  Eliza,  the  wife  of  James  G.  Caldwell,  of 
\Vest  Monroe,  and  Albert  are  now  living.  Nathan  was 
well  educated.  Ele  became  an  excellent  physician  and 
surgeon,  and  practiced  several  years  at  Central  Square 
and  Phoenix,  Oswego  County,  New  York.  He  finally 
settled  in  Ionia,  Michigan,  early  in  1855,  where  he  died 
April  25,  1858,  aged  nearly  forty-five  years,  leaving  only 
a  widow.  His  son  and  only  child  died  in  early  child¬ 
hood.  Nathan  closely  resembled  his  father  in  character, 
study,  manner  of  speaking,  and  love  of  his  profession. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  Canadian  Patriot  War  of  1837, 
and  was  with  Colonel  Von  Shultz  and  his  brave  band  at 
the  battle  of  Windmill  Point.  He  served  as  surgeon, 
and  was  one  of  the  fortunate  few  who,  after  the  battle 
and  surrender,  escaped  across  the  St.  Lawrence  River  to 
the  American  shore.  Henry,  the  first  child,  died  when 
about  two  years  old;  Sally  died  in  her  eighteenth  year; 
and  Elenry,  the  sixth  child,  and  Bertrand,  each  when 
about  eleven  years  old.  Dr.  Avery  Williams,  of  Buffalo, 
New  York,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Ezra  Fisk,  of  Greencastle,  In¬ 
diana,  both  men  of  talent  and  distinction,  are  cousins  of 
Albert  on  his  father’s  side.  On  the  maternal  side,  the 
ancestors  of  Albert  are  also  from  Wales,  and  settled  in 
Massachusetts.  As  a  class,  they  have  been  farmers,  noted 
for  industry,  thrift,  and  solid  character.  His  grand¬ 
father,  Caleb  Corkins,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution 
of  ’76,  in  which  he  fought  for  American  indepen¬ 
dence.  He  had  eight  cliildren,  of  whom  Judith,  the 
mother  of  Albert,  was  the  fifth.  She  was  born  in 
1786,  and  died  November  7,  1877.  Her  home,  the  last 
few  years  of  her  life,  was  at  the  house  of  her  son-in-law. 
Ml.  Caldwell,  in  West  Monroe.  Through  her  whole 
life,  she  was  known  as  a  lady  of  sterling  sense,  possess¬ 
ing  all  the  virtues  that  adorn  womanhood.  Albert’s 


home  was  always  at  his  father’s  house  while  the  latter 
lived;  though  the  greater  ^lart  of  the  time,  after  early 
childhood,  was  spent  away  in  working  out,  attending 
school,  teaching,  and  reading  law.  Several  years  were 
spent  in  the  academies  of  Elomer  and  Mexicoville,  New 
York.  In  April,  1844,  he  came  to  Michigan.  His 
father,  through  misplaced  confidence  and  the  dishonesty 
of  pretended  friends,  was  twice  reduced  to  poverty,  and 
was  never  able  to  materially  aid  Albert  in  his  efforts. 
Mr.  Williams  spent  his  first  year,  in  Michigan,  in  the 
law  office  of  Hon.  R.  McClelland  and  Judge  W.  Wing, 
of  the  city  of  Monroe.  In  that  place,  April  14,  1845, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  as  an  attorney  and  counselor- 
at-law,  in  all  the  courts  of  the  State;  and,  since  then,  to 
the  United  States  Courts.  Ele  at  once  removed  to  Ionia 
County,  where  he  has  ever  continued  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  save  one  year,  from  May,  1851,  to  May,  1852, 
which  he  spent  at  Grand  Rapids.  The  first  six  years  in 
Ionia  County,  he  lived  in  Otisco,  but  in  May,  1852,  his 
home  was  permanently  established  in  Ionia.  EYom  early 
in  1847  to  1851,  he  was  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Ionia 
County.  Although  Mr.  Williams  was  always  a  strong 
anti-slavery  man,  he  acted  with  the  Democratic  party 
until  the  spring  of  1854;  he  was,  however,  a  prominent 
opposer  of  the  compromise  measures  of  r850.  During 
the  years  of  1853-54,  he  was  the  Acting  County  Clerk 
of  Ionia  County,  and  performed  alone  all  the  labors  of 
that  office.  Mr.  Williams  was  the  only  man  who  went 
from  Ionia  County  to  attend  the  mass-meeting  at  Jack- 
son,  Michigan,  July  4,  1854.  This  meeting  was  held  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  a  new  party,  which  should  be 
unequivocally  opposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery  into 
the  E'ederal  Territories,  and  pledged  to  pure,  equal,  and 
just  government.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Committee 
on  Resolutions,  and  also  of  the  committee  which  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  meeting  the  first  Republican  State  ticket 
ever  voted  in  Michigan.  He  was  the  author  of  the  first 
elaborate  Republican  address  printed  and  circulated  in 
the  State,  which,  by  many  speakers  and  papers,  was  that 
year  largely  used  as  a  text  document.  He  led  in  the 
organization  of  that  party  in  the  counties  of  Ionia  and 
Montcalm,  drafting  all  necessary  papers  and  notices  for 
their  meetings  and  conventions.  In  the  spring  of  1855, 
he  was  the  leader  in  establishing  the  first  Republican 
paper  published  in  Ionia  County,  and  was  for  several 
months  its  sole  editor.  In  a  word,  his  services  to  the 
Republican  party,  through  his  pen  and  on  the  stump, 
were  of  great  value ;  they  have  been  fitly  acknowledged, 
and  will  long  be  remembered  by  the  people  in  that  sec¬ 
tion  of  the  State.  In  the  fall  of  1S54,  he  was  elected 
County  Treasurer  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  was  re¬ 
elected  in  1856,  holding  the  office  four  years.  In  i860 
he  was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the  county;  in 
1862  Attorney-General  of  the  State,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1864,  filling  that  office  four  years.  In  1870  Mr. 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


137 


Williams,  losing  confidence  in  the  integrity  of  the  Re¬ 
publican  party,  and  believing  its  usefulness  was  gone, 
became  identified  with  the  National  Prohibition  Reform 
party,  with  which  he  has  since  acted.  In  that  year,  he 
was  the  candidate,  on  its  ticket,  for  Prosecuting  At¬ 
torney,  and  thoroughly  stumped  the  county  in  its  inter¬ 
ests.  Ionia  County  gave  as  large  a  vote  for  the  Prohi¬ 
bition  ticket  as  any  county  in  the  State.  He  was 
the  candidate  of  this  party,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  for 
Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court.  In  1874  he 
was  their  candidate  for  the  office  of  Attorney-General, 
and  made  speeches  in  a  large  number  of  the  great  towns 
and  cities  of  the  State;  these  speeches  were  mentioned 
by  the  press  as  unusually  clear,  able,  and  eloquent.  The 
one  delivered  at  Charlotte, — which  was  printed  and  widely 
circulated, — is,  in  the  respects  named,  not  often  equaled 
by  our  leading  public  men.  In  1876  he  was  the  candi¬ 
date  of  the  same  party  for  Governor.  Two  of  his 
speeches,  delivered  in  this  campaign,  one  at  Saranac 
and  the  other  at  Ionia, — afterwards  printed  and  circu¬ 
lated,- -were  remarked  for  their  subject-matter,  logic, 
finish,  and  interest,  by  vei'y  many  of  the  scholars  and 
politicians  of  the  country.  Indeed,  it  is  safe  to  say, 
that  the  three  speeches  mentioned  will  stand  prominent 
among  their  kind,  as  proud  j^illars  on  the  great  road  lead¬ 
ing  to  a  higher  and  better  civilization,  years  after  their 
aifthor  has  passed  away.  .Mr.  Williams  stands  well  as  an 
able  and  safe  lawyer,  and  has  never  wanted  for  business. 
As  a  tax-title  lawyer,  he  has  few  equals.  In  the  course  of 
his  practice,  he  has  had  occasion  to  argue  a  number  of 
causes  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  usually 
alone.  The  attorney  who  stands  higher  in  the  esteem 
of  the  court  is  fortunate.  His  argument  before  that 
court,  in  January,  1865,  in  support  of  the  constitution¬ 
ality  of  the  soldiers’  voting  law,  was  pronounced  by  one 
of  the  most  eminent  lawyers  of  the  State,  as  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  straightforward  that  had  been  made 
there  in  many  years.  It  was  highly  complimented  by 
those  who  heard  it.  His  promptness  and  energy  as 
Attorney-General  prevented  the  payment,  out  of  the 
State  Treasury,  of  at  least  one  large  illegal  claim,  con¬ 
nived  at  by  dishonest  officials.  It  also  i:)revented  the 
revival  of  the  old  “wild-cat”  Pontiac  Rank;  and  the 
River  Raisin  and  Lake  Erie  Railroad  Company  Bank; 
each  having  at  the  time  three  hundred  thousand  dollars 
or  more  of  worthless  “bank  rags”  ready  to  flood  the 
North-west.  He  thus  saved  the  people  very  heavy 
losses;  and  these  instances  alone  would  be  enough  to 
fidly  establish  his  reputation,  as  a  public  officer,  for  in¬ 
tegrity  and  faithfulness.  As  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  his 
county,  he  never  needed  assistance;  and,  as  Attorney- 
General,  he  had  as  little  help,  in  proportion  to  the 
business  done,  as  any  such  officer  in  Michigan.  As  a 
public  officer,  he  has  never  been  charged  with  an  op¬ 
pressive  or  dishonorable  act.  In  all  his  professional 
73 


labors,  he  is  careful,  industrious,  and  prompt.  His 
papers  are  models  of  neatness,  correctness,  and  order; 
he  looks  on  all  sides,  and  at  every  point  of  a  case,  and  is 
seldom  caught  napping  by  an  opponent.  As  a  result,  he 
is  usually  very  successful,  and  his  clients  are  well  satisfied. 
Mr.  Williams,  in  the  society  of  his  friends,  is  a  genial  and 
humorous  companion,  affable  and  kind  beyond  most 
men ;  but  he  is  reserved  and  sometimes  even  cold  in  the 
presence  of  strangers.  He  has  a  fund  of  rich  anecdotes, 
which  he  well  knows  how  to  relate,  and  a  mind  well 
stored  with  varied  knowledge;  he  is  pleasant,  easy,  and 
instructive  in  conversation.  He  has  a  warm  and  gener¬ 
ous  heart,  and  is  a  kind  husband,  tender  parent,  and 
true  friend.  He  is  not  without  his  antipathies,  which 
he  cares  little  to  conceal.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  con¬ 
victions,  in  which  he  puts  great  faith  and  hope,  but 
which  he  seldom  pushes  forward,  unless  he  deems  it  his 
duty.  He  weighs  matters  deliberately  before  action; 
but,  when  a  conclusion  is  formed  for  practical  purposes, 
he  then  moves  with  little  respect  to  adverse  conse¬ 
quences.  This  was  forcibly  illustrated  in  his  breaking 
from  the  Democratic  party  in  1854,  in  the  day  of  its 
power;  and  then  again  from  the  Republican  party  in 
1870.  His  life  evidences  a  devotion  to  principle,  and 
disrespect  for  policy.  Mr.  Williams  is  a  little  above  the 
medium  height,  with  excellent  deportment  and  presence. 
His  eyes  and  hair  are  dark.  As  a  speaker,  he  is  fluent, 
earnest,  and  emphatic,  but  never  boisterous.  His  diction 
is  finished,  and  his  subject  clearly  and  logically  presented ; 
few  speakers  are  more  interesting  and  impressive.  Janu¬ 
ary  6,  1844,  Williams  married  Miss  Eliza  Ann  Patter¬ 
son,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Captain  James  Patterson,  of 
West  Monroe,  New  York.  She  is  a  sister  of  the  late 
Lucius  Patterson,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  who,  in 
his  day,  was  one  of  Michigan’s  most  eminent  lawj'ers. 
Mrs.  Williams  is  a  lady  of  brilliant  intellect,  and  varied 
and  solid  attainments;  she  is  highly  social;  has  many 
friends;  and  is  an  earnest  and  active  Christian  worker. 
Of  this  marriage,  four  children  have  been  born, —  two  of 
whom,  a  daughter  and  son,  died  in  early  infancy;  one  in 
1844  and  the  other  in  1859.  Their  daughter  Fannie  was 
born  May  13,  1852,  and  died  March  31,  1873.  She  was 
an  unusually  sweet,  vivacious,  and  popular  young  lady. 
Mrs.  Ellen  W.  Babcock,  of  Ionia,  now  their  only  remain¬ 
ing  child,  was  born  December  i,  1846,  and  is  a  very  in¬ 
telligent  and  worthy  lady.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Babcock  have 
but  one  child;  Fannie  W.  Babcock,  a  bright  little  girl, 
born  July  25,  1875.  As  to  habits,  Mr.  Williams  has  ever 
been  exemplary,  and  his  character  is  above  reproach. 
He  has  been  a  life-long  temperance  worker,  and  is  a 
regular  attendant  upon  Christian  worship.  Early  in 
1877,  he  became  a  professor  of  religion,  and  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Ionia.  If  possible,  he 
is  more  earnest  and  resolute  than  ever  before  to  make 
the  world  better  and  truer. 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


13S 

^||fjl^ITITE,  THOMAS,  of  Portland,  Michigan,  was 
Covington,  Genesee  County,  New 

York,  June  4,  1S08.  He  is  the  son  of  William 
and  Ruth  (Davis)  White,  who  emigrated  to  Western 
New  York  from  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut.  Mr. 
W'hite  remained  at  home,  attending  school  and  work¬ 
ing  on  the  farm,  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age. 
He  then  took  entire  charge  of  the  farm;  and,  on  the 
death  of  his  father,  two  years  later,  removed  to  Ma¬ 
comb  County,  Michigan,  and  located  eighty  acres  of 
wild  land.  In  1834  he  sold  this  land,  and  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  section  four,  in  Ionia 
County,  four  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Portland. 
For  nineteen  years,  he  cultivated  this  place,  and  then 
bought  four  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres  two  miles 
west,  where  he  lived  sixteen  years.  In  1869  he  re¬ 
moved  to  the  village  of  Portland,  where  he  now  resides, 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  early  labors.  He  cast  his  first 
vote  for  Andrew  Jackson,  and  has  been  a  strong  sup¬ 
porter,  first  of  the  Whig,  and  afterwards  of  the  Re¬ 
publican,  party.  He  has  been  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-School,  and  has  held  important  offices  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  a 
member  for  thirty-five  years.  He  married,  November  2, 
1834,  Lucy,  daughter  of  Sylvanus  Young,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  have 
three  children,  all  comfortably  settled  in  Portland,  near 
their  parents,— Adelia,  wife  of  Harvey  Knox  ;  William, 
engaged  in  mercantile  business;  and  Ruth,  wife  of  W. 
Hugg,  M.  D. 

- - 

J'|l|lTHEY,  SOLOMON  L.,  United  States  District 
^  I  ||  Judge,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born  at  St. 

Albans,  Vermont,  April  21,  1820.  His  father, 
Solomon  Withey,  known  to  the  earlier  residents  of  Michi¬ 
gan  as  General  Withey, — having  been  commissioned  a 
Prigadier-General  of  the  Michigan  State  Militia, — was  a 
native  of  Granville,  Addison  County,  Vermont.  About 
1799  he  moved  to  St.  Alban’s  Point,  where,  for  many 
years,  he  engaged  in  farming.  In  the  spring  of  1826  he 
removed  thence  to  St.  Alban’s  Bay,  where  most  of  Judge 
Withey’s  boyhood  was  spent.  In  September,  1835, 
emigrated,  with  his  family,  to  the  West;  spending  the 
winter  of  1835-6  at  Cuyahoga  Falls,  Ohio,  and  locating 
at  Grand  Rapids  in  the  following  spring.  General 
Withey,  while  residing  at  St.  Alban’s  Bay,  was  Under 
Sherifl'  of  Franklin  County,  Vermont;  and,  afterwards, 
at  Grand  Rapids,  was  Sheriff  of  Kent  County.  He  died 
in  1851,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Judge  Withey’s  mother 
was  Julia  Granger,  a  native  of  Middlebury,  Vermont. 
She  was  of  English  descent,  and  died  in  1825,  at  the  age 
of  thirty-four  years.  His  grandfather,  Silas  Withey,  was 
a  Scotchman,  belonging  to  the  family  of  McWithey,  but 


in  early  life  dropped  the  Me  from  the  patronymic.  He 
served  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution  as  a  soldier  in 
the  American  army,  and  drew  a  pension  till  his  death 
in  1836.  The  wife  of  Silas  Withey  was  Abigail  Ferry, 
of  Dutch  descent.  She  died  about  1828.  Judge  Withey 
spent  the  fall  and  winter  of  1835  Cuyahoga  Falls, 
Ohio,  attending  school.  In  the  spring  of  1836,  he 
started,  with  his  father,  on  his  way  to  Grand  Rapids; 
but,  at  Detroit,  he  accepted  an  offer  of  employment  in 
a  store  in  Canada.  From  this  time,  then  sixteen  years 
of  age,  Mr.  Withey  seems  to  have  depended,  to  some 
extent,  upon  his  own  exertions  for  support  and  educa¬ 
tion.  A  year’s  time  was  spent  as  clerk  in  Canada,  and 
in  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  This  employment  did  not 
satisfy  his  ambition,  nor  accord  with  his  taste  for  intel¬ 
lectual  occupation.  In  the  spring  of  1837,  after  a  conver¬ 
sation  with  his  father,  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  to 
Grand  Rapids,  he  resolved  to  prepare  himself  for  intel¬ 
lectual  life  by  a  more  complete  course  of  study.  With 
this  object  in  view,  he  at  once  returned  to  Cuyahoga 
Falls  and  entered  the  academy  there;  but  his  stay  was 
brief;  for,  in  August,  1838,  his  father’s  business  required 
his  presence  at  Grand  Rapids,  and  his  academic  instruct¬ 
ion,  but  not  his  studies,  terminated.  A  mind  formed 
for  high  pursuits,  and  endowed  with  perseverance,  sel¬ 
dom  fails  for  want  of  personal  instruction;  books,  when 
one  has  the  capacity  to  understand  and  the  judgment  to 
utilize,  are  often  the  best  teachers.  The  time  which 
business  left  at  his  disposal  was  devoted  to  study;  and, 
in  the  autumn  of  1839,  Mr.  Withey  entered  the  law  office 
of  Rathbone  &  Martin.  He  continued  with  that  firm 
until  its  dissolution;  and,  afterwards,  with  Hon.  George 
Martin, — subsequently  Chief  Justice.  May  17,  1843, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  remained  with  Judge  Martin 
another  year  before  entering  upon  practice.  The  study 
of  the  law  did  not  deprive  him  of  the  pleasure  and 
benefits  derived  from  literary  research,  so  that,  when 
called  to  the  bar,  he  brought  to  the  practice  of  the  law 
a  mind  well  instructed  in  the  principles  of  juidsprudence, 
and  possessing  the  foundation  of  a  literary  education. 
He  was  engaged  in  active  practice  at  the  bar  for  nine¬ 
teen  years,  at  Grand  Rapids,  which  has  been  his  home 
since  1838.  From  the  spring  of  1844  to  that  of  1846, 
he  was  associated  with  Hon.  John  Ball,  under  the  name 
of  Ball  &  Withey;  then  Ball,  Martin  &  Withey  formed 
a  copartnership  which  continued  until  the  elevation  of 
Judge  Martin  to  the  bench,  where  he  continued  till  his 
death.  Judge  Withey  was  subsequently  associated  in 
business  with  Hon.  E.  S.  Eggleston,  and  later  with 
George  Gray,  Esq.  His  career  at  the  bar  was  one  of 
which  he  may  be  justly  proud.  The  purity  of  his  life, 
his  high  character  as  a  man,  his  unimpassioned  and 
cool  judgment,  united  with  perfect  integrity  and  a 
thoiough  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  law,  entitled 
him  to  the  unlimited  confidence  which  was  reposed  in 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


139 


his  opinion  and  advice.  Noted  as  a  safe  and  reliable 
counselor,  no  lawyer  in  the  State  drew  around  him  a 
larger  number  of  clieirts.  lie  made  his  client’s  welfare 
and  interests  his  own,  and  maintained  his  opinions  at 
the  bar  with  that  sound  reasoning  which  marks  the 
efforts  of  all  successful  lawyers.  While  practicing  at 
the  bar  and  accumulating  a  competence.  Judge  Withey 
jierformed  his  full  share  of  those  public  duties  which, 
in  this  country,  are  imposed  upon  the  citizen.  He  was 
Judge  of  Probate  from  1848  to  1852,  and  State  Senator 
from  January  1861  to  1863;  during  which  time  two  extra 
sessions  of  the  Legislature  were  held  to  accomplish  im¬ 
portant  legislation  connected  with  the  Rebellion.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1867, 
in  which  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  eighteen  gentlemen  selected  by 
the  Governor  of  his  State  to  form  the  Constitutional  Com¬ 
mission  of  1873,  was  again  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary 
Committee.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  Director  of 
the  First  National  Bank,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and,  since  1869, 
its  President.  In  the  legislative  bodies  of  which  he  has 
been  a  member,  he  at  once  took  and  held  the  first  rank. 
That  Judge  Withey  possesses,  in  an  eminent  degree,  the 
q-ualities  which  go  to  make  a  useful  and  leading  states¬ 
man  can  not  be  doubted;  but  his  ambition  has  not  led 
him  to  positions  in  which  those  qualities  are  exhibited  in 
their  full  strength.  He  has  been  brought  prominently 
before  the  public  as  a  judge,  and  in  this  important  civil 
office,  more  than  in  any  other,  his  ability  has  been  mani¬ 
fested.  In  the  spring  of  1863,  he  accepted,  at  the  hands 
of  President  Lincoln,  the  office  of  United  States  District 
Judge  for  the  Western  District  of  Michigan;  and  imme¬ 
diately  entered  upon  its  duties.  Previous  to  this  time, 
jMichigan  constituted  one  Federal  Judicial  District,  with 
its  court  at  Detroit;  this  caused  great  inconvenience  to 
the  western  half  of  the  State,  imposing  burdens  upon 
the  citizens,  and  loss  of  both  time  and  money  to  reach 
the  courts  and  await  trials.  With  confidence  in  the  re¬ 
sources  and  future  of  his  own  section  of  Michigan,  Judge 
Withey  directed  attention  to  dividing  the  State  into 
eastern  and  western  judicial  districts;  he  had  the  satisfac¬ 
tion  of  seeing  this  project  accomplished,  and  Grand 
Rapids  made  the  judicial  center  of  Western  Michigan. 
When  it  became  necessary  to  select  from  the  bar  a  com¬ 
petent  man  to  organize  the  court  and  discharge  the  re¬ 
sponsible  duties  of  Judge,  he  was  unanimously  chosen. 
This  position  demanded  a  radical  change  in  his  profes¬ 
sional  life.  In  the  organization  of  the  Circuit  and  Dis¬ 
trict  Courts,  and  the  administration  of  the  law,  those 
qualities  peculiar  to  him  as  a  lawyer  found  room  for 
more  complete  development,  and  his  qualifications  for  a 
judge  at  once  became  apparent.  A  mild  and  pleasing, 
but  resolute  and  intelligent,  countenance;  a  decided  man¬ 
ner,  and  a  calm  and  dignified  deportment,  combine  to 
make  his  courts  models  of  iiroiniety  and  decorum.  lie 


listens  to  legitimate  arguments  with  patience,  and  weighs 
carefully  whatever  is  worthy  of  consideration.  On  the 
bench  he  expresses  his  mind  freely  upon  questions  under 
discussion,  and  directs  attention  to  such  points  as  may 
be  in  doubt,  without  wasting  time  upon  points  not  fairly 
disputable.  Well  grounded  in  the  elements  of  law,  he 
is  not  easily  drawn  into  what  seems  to  him  a  misappli¬ 
cation  of  them,  by  the  citation  of  cases,  or  the  fallacies 
of  legal  argument.  His  instruction  to  juries,  and  his 
prepared  opinions,  are  models  of  clearness  and  logic. 
Jurors  rarely  fail  to  understand  their  whole  duty  in  the 
most  intricate  cases.  All  that  belongs  to  them  is  sub¬ 
mitted  under  careful  instruction.  He  never  invades  the 
province  of  the  jury;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  he  never 
suffers  the  jury  to  usurp,  in  any  degree,  the  province  of 
the  court.  The  Federal  Courts  in  the  Western  District 
of  Michigan,  under  his  administration,  have  rapidly  in¬ 
creased  in  the  number  and  importance  of  their^cases, 
and  employ  his  entire  time.  He  has  been  often  called 
to  preside  in  the  Circuit  and  District  Courts  of  the 
United  States,  at  Detroit,  Cleveland,  and  Memphis.  In 
1869,  in  order  to  relieve  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme 
Courts  of  the  United  States  of  their  duties  at  the  Cir¬ 
cuit,  a  law  was  passed  by  Congress  creating  an  independ¬ 
ent  office  of  Circuit  Judge.  This  appointment  was 
tendered  to  Judge  Withey,  for  the  Sixth  Circuit,  com¬ 
posed  of  the  four  great  commercial  Slates, —  Ohio,  Michi¬ 
gan,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee.  This  office,  while  it 
assured  an  enlarged  field  for  judicial  service,  and  prom¬ 
ised  increased  judicial  honor,  involved  many  sacrifices 
which,  after  careful  consideration,  he  was  unwilling  to 
make, — especially  as  the  duties  imposed  upon  the  office 
would  call  him  from  home  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 
Although  he  had  received  his  commission  from  President 
Grant,  such  considerations,  together  with  the  growing 
importance  of  his  own  district,  induced  him  to  decline 
the  additional  honor.  In  1845  Withey  married 

Marion  L.  Hinsdill,  a  daughter  of  Myron  and  Emily 
Hinsdill,  formerly  of  Hinesburg,  Vermont, —  a  lady  of 
talent,  character,  and  rare  good  sense.  She  is  devoted 
to  philanthropic  objects,  and  aims  at  a  large  degree  of 
culture  for  herself  and  her  sex.  Faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  duty  and  influential  in  the  social  circle,  she  does  much 
to  elevate  and  adorn  life.  Judge  Withey,  in  1848, 
united  with  the  Congregational  Church,  and  since  that 
time  has  continued  his  membership.  To  the  difficulties 
which  have  appeared  in  a  new,  increasing,  and  impor¬ 
tant  church,  he  has  freely  devoted  those  abilities  which 
elsewhere  distinguish  him.  His  influence  has  been  posi¬ 
tive ;  liberal  yet  conservative,  independent  yet  concilia¬ 
tory;  elevating  humanity  by  removing  difficulties  rather 
than  creating  them;  conciliating  and  cementing  into  one 
homogeneous  whole,  rather  than  encouraging  conflict¬ 
ing  interests  and  opinions.  His  counsel  has  had  the 
greater  weight  because  never  dogmatic  nor  obtrusive, 


140 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


and  because  his  advocacy  of  tne  best  course  has  been 
animated  by  Christian  love  and  warm  human  sympa¬ 
thies.  By  his  timely  and  wise  counsel  he  has  greatly 
assisted  the  church  of  his  choice.  lie  has  defended  it 
in  hours  of  great  peril ;  has  aided  largely  in  its  internal 
and  external  growth;  and,  by  his  example,  has  led  others 
to  respect  that  cause  which  he  himself  first  respected. 
Thus  has  he  been  earnest  and  faithful  in  Christian  duty. 


^  Y^ELLS,  HON.  W.  B.,  of  Ionia,  Michigan,  was 
^  I  born  in  Hartwick,  Otsego  County,  New  York, 
March  25,  1828.  His  father,  Benjamin  Wells,  a 
native  of  Rhode  Island,  who  settled  in  New  York  early 
in  life,  died  near  P'allasburg,  Kent  County,  in  December, 
1861.  His  mother,  a  lady  of  unusual  ability  and  force 
of  character,  was  from  Schoharie  County,  New  York,  and 
died  June  13,  1838.  From  boyhood  Mr.  Wells  has  been 
distinguished  by  his  insatiable  thirst  for  knowledge. 
Not  satisfied  with  the  meager  opportunities  for  education 
which  the  elementary  schools  of  those  days  afforded,  he 
determined  to  win  his  way  to  a  broader  field  of  culture. 
With  this  end  in  view,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  bought 
some  land,  for  which  he  was  to  pay  one  hundred  and 
ten  dollars ;  and,  in  order  to  meet  the  obligation  thus 
incurred,  engaged  to  “grub  out  ”  thirty-five  acres  of  land 
on  Flat  River,  Kent  County,  Michigan,  at  three  dollars 
and  a  half  an  acre.  After  six  months  of  labor,  he  com¬ 
pleted  the  task;  having  occupied  the  interval  during  the 
winter  in  chopping  wood  for  a  suit  of  clothes.  Pie  then 
set  off  to  visit  an  uncle  in  Ontario,  Canada,  walking  the 
whole  distance  of  three  hundred  miles  in  eight  days. 
After  spending  the  winter  with  his  uncle,  he  went  to 
Yates  County,  New  York,  where  he  worked  at  harvest¬ 
ing  the  following  summer.  With  his  earnings,  he  then 
went  to  college,  prosecuting  his  studies  successively 
at  Prattsburg  and  Lima,  New  York,  and  at  Oberlin, 
Ohio.  In  1853  he  commenced  reading  law  in  the  office 
of  Blanchard  &  Bell,  Ionia,  Michigan;  and,  after  four 
years  of  close  application,  during  which  he  supported 
himself  by  teaching,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
immediately  began  to  practice.  The  offices  with  which 
Mr.  Wells  has  been  honored,  during  the  twenty  years 
of  his  professional  career,  form  the  best  criterion  of  his 
legal  ability.  Pie  has  been  County  Clerk,  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and,  for  eight  years.  Judge  of  Probate  of  Ionia 
County.  In  1876  he  was  again  elected  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  which  office  he  now  (1878)  holds.  In  poli¬ 
tics,  Mr.  Wells  is  an  uncompromising  Republican,  and 
cast  his  first  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont.  While  not 
avowedly  associated  with  any  religious  body,  he  is  thor¬ 
oughly  in  sympathy  with  the  objects  of  all  Christian  and 
benevolent  societies.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  P'raternity  since  1854,  and  has  passed  through 


the  Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter  degrees,  having  held  the 
office  of  Master  in  the  Lodge  and  of  King  in  the  Chapter. 
Physically,  Judge  Wells  is  strong  and  robust.  His 
mental  vigor  is  well  balanced  by  a  sound  constitution; 
his  energy  is  untiring,  and  his  perseverance  of  the  most 
persistent  type.  When  he  chose  the  profession  of  law, 
he  determined  to  master  its  spirit  as  well  as  its  form; 
and  his  large  practice  bears  ample  testimony  to  his  suc¬ 
cess.  Pie  is  an  earnest  and  forcible  sj)eaker,  as  well  as  a 
sound  lawyer.  In  his  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  he 
has  been  faithful  in  the  performance  of  every  duty;  always 
a  champion  of  the  right,  and  has  reflected  credit  upon 
every  office  which  he  has  held.  An  attractive  conversa¬ 
tionalist,  his  sympathetic  nature  and  liberal  views,  his 
sincerity  and  candor,  make  him  a  favorite  in  Ionia  County. 
He  clings  to  old  friends  with  tenacity,  and  is  devoted  to 
the  welfare  of  his  children.  In  May,  1858,  he  married 
Nancy  Davis,  of  Otisco,  Ionia  County, —  a  lady  of  rare 
accomplishments, —  who  died  a  few  months  after  her 
marriage,  leaving  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Mr.  Wells 
married,  in  October,  1861,  Ellen  A.  Hatch,  daughter  of 
Samuel  A.  Hatch,  of  Chautauqua  County,  New  York. 
She  was  a  graduate  of  the  seminary  at  Mount  Holyoke, 
Massachusetts,  and  was  a  lady  of  remarkable  ability  and 
talents.  She  died  August  23,  1874,  leaving  three  chil¬ 
dren, —  two  boys  and  a  girl.  An  obituary  notice,  which 
appeared-  in  the  Ionia  Sentinel,  will  show  the  high  appre¬ 
ciation  in  which  she  was  held  in  the  community:  “Mrs. 
Wells  was  a  lady  of  finished  education  and  superior  mind ; 
well  informed  upon  all  the  topics  of  the  day.  She  was 
not  wanting  in  the  domestic  virtues;  ‘she  looked  well 
to  the  ways  of  her  household.’  Industrious  in  her  hab¬ 
its,  economical  and  prudent,  her  management  was  marked 
by  energy  and  indomitable  perseverance.  As  a  wife, 
‘the  heart  of  her  husband  did  safely  trust  in  her.’  She 
loved  her  children  with  a  self-sacrificing  devotion,  and 
watched  most  carefully  over  their  mental  and  moral 
development.  She  was  always  an  attentive  and  kind 
neighbor;  and  the  various  public  interests  of  the  com¬ 
munity,  such  as  education,  temperance,  and  the  promo¬ 
tion  of  literary  culture,  were  ever  near  to  her  heart.” 

- .<>. - 

jljT^ILLIAMS,  HON.  WILLIAM  B.,  Attorney-at- 
Allegan,  Michigan,  was  born  in  Pittsfield, 
New  York,  July  28,  1826.  His  father,  Erastus 
Williams,  was  a  native  of  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts. 
He  was  a  farmer;  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  a  deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  brought 
up  his  son  in  habits  of  industry,  and  inspired  him  with 
his  own  political  principles,  which  were  those  of  the 
Whig  party.  William  B.  Williams  was  educated  at  the 
academy  in  his  native  town.  He  afterwards  engaged 
in  teaching  school,  in  which,  with  farming  during  the 


-  V 


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RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


summer,  he  was  occupied  for  several  years.  He  com¬ 
menced  the  study  of  law  in  Rochester,  New  York;  and 
graduated  from  the  State  and  National  Law  School,  at 
Ballston,  in  August,  1851.  In  September  he  was  admit¬ 
ted  to  the  bar  in  Rochester,  where  he  formed  a  partner¬ 
ship  with  William  Hastings,  under  whom  he  had  com¬ 
menced  his  legal  studies.  He  has  ever  since  continued 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1853  he  married  Miss 
Marietta  Osborn,  of  Rochester,  New  York.  In  1855  he 
removed  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  Allegan  County, 
where  he  still  resides.  He  was  elected  Judge  of  Probate 
in  1856,  and  re-elected  in  i860.  Upon  the  breaking  out 
of  the  civil  war,  he  entered  the  army.  Having  raised  a 
company  for  the  5th  Michigan  Volunteer  Cavalry,  he 
was  commissioned  its  Captain.  He  served  until  June  23, 
1863,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability, 
incurred  at  Fairfax  Court  House,  Virginia.  After  his 
return  home,  although  unfit  for  duty  in  the  field,  he 
raised  the  2Sth  Regiment  of  Michigan  Volunteers,  and 
was  its  commander  while  in  camp  at  Kalamazoo.  He 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  of  Michigan  in  1866  and 
1868.  During  his  last  term,  he  was  President  pro  tempore; 
Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee,  and  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Public  Instruction.  In  1867  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  Michigan.  In  1871 
he  was  appointed,  by  the  Governor  of  Michigan,  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Board  for  the  Supervisory  Control  of  the 
charitable,  penal,  and  beneficiary  institutions  of  the 
State.  At  a  special  election,  held  November  4,  1873,  he 
was  elected  Representative  to  the  Forty-third  Congress, 
to  fill  a  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Hon.  Wilder 
D.  Foster.  In  the  House  of  Representatives,  he  served 
on  the  Committee  on  the  Pacific  Railroad,  and  on  the 
Committee  on  Revolutionary  Pensions  and  Pensions  of 
the  War  of  1812.  In  a  speech  on  finance,  he  opposed 
the  Curreney  Bill,  which  the  President  afterwards  vetoed. 
Mr.  Williams  is  a  firm  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  Church,  and  has  held  the  office  of  vestry¬ 
man  for  several  years.  He  still  gives  evidence  of  a  long 
period  of  usefulness. 

- K»» 


[l^OLCOTT,  LAURENS  W.,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  President  of  the  Board  of  Education 
of  that  city,  was  born  in  Warsaw,  Wyoming 
County,  New  York,  February  8,  1843.  Ilis  parents 
were  Nelson  and  Alvina  (Wright)  Wolcott  His  father 
was  collaterally  descended  from  the  family  of  Wolcotts 
who  were  conspicuous  in  the  early  history  of  America. 
One  of  them,  Roger  Wolcott,  was  Colonial  Governor  of 
Connecticut;  his  son,  Oliver  Wolcott,  was  a  statesman, 
General,  and  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ¬ 
ence.  Laurens  W.  Wolcott  was  prepared  for  college 


at  the 


of  seventeen,  but  was  deterred,  by  ad¬ 


141 

verse  circumstances,  from  applying  for  admission. 
When  he  had  finally  completed  his  freshman  stu¬ 
dies,  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  caused  him  to 
change  his  purpose.  In  September,  1861,  Mr.  Wolcott, 
although  very  desirous  to  complete  his  collegiate  course, 
determined  to  sacrifice  his  personal  interests  for  his 
country,  and  enlisted,  as  a  private,  in  the  52d  Regiment 
of  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  served  under  Gen¬ 
eral  Grant,  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee;  and  under 
General  Sherman,  in  his  memorable  march  to  the  sea, 
and  northward  through  the  Carolinas.  Pie  was  mus¬ 
tered  out  as  First  Lieutenant,  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in 
July,  1865;  having  been  in  the  army  nearly  four  years, 
and  served  during  the  hardest  campaigns.  Just  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  taught  school  two  years,  study¬ 
ing  law  during  his  leisure  hours.  When  he  entered  the 
law  department  of  Michigan  University,  in  1868,  he 
was  so  far  advanced  as  to  be  able,  virtually,  to  finish 
the  course  in  one  year.  In  1869,  he  entered,  as  student, 
the  law  office  of  Hon.  Byron  D.  Ball,  since  Attorney- 
General  of  Michigan;  and,  in  1871,  having  been  ad¬ 
mitted  to  the  bar,  became  his  partner.  He  remained  in 
that  connection  till  1874,  when  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Moses  Taggart,  Esq. with  whom  he  is  still  associ¬ 
ated.  In  1872  Mr.  Wolcott  was  elected  Circuit  Court 
Commissioner  of  the  county  of  Kent,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1874.  He  is  now  President  of  the  Board  of  Educa¬ 
tion,  and  Secretary  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the  city 
of  Grand  Rapids.  Mr.  Wolcott  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church.  He  is  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Republican  party.  He  married,  on  the  5th 
of  March,  1873,  Miss  Lucy  Gallup,  of  Grand  Rapids. 
He  is  of  medium  height,  and  graceful  form;  has 
finely  chiseled  features,  hazel  eyes,  black  hair,  tinged 
with  gray,  and  a  heavy  mustache;  his  face  is  prepos¬ 
sessing,  and  his  manner  agreeable.  He  is  a  lawyer  of 
ability,  industry,  and  promptitude.  He  presents  a  case 
clearly  and  handsomely;  and,  though  not  an  orator,  is  a 
good  advocate.  Pie  is  a  gentleman  of  fine  social  quali¬ 
ties,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow-men.  Mr. 
Wolcott,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  has,  probably,  just  en¬ 
tered  upon  his  career;  it  may  reasonably  be  predicted 
that,  if  his  life  is  spared,  he  will  become  pre-eminent  in 
his  profession. 


■•O' 


I'^ORMS,  HENRY,  Merchant  and  Capitalist,  Grand 
Haven,  Michigan,  was  born  at  Natchez,  Missis- 
sippi,  August  17,  1845.  He  was  second  of  the 
three  sons  of  John  Worms,  a  retired  merchant  and 
financier,  who  was  born  of  Jewish  parents,  at  Landau, 
Bavaria,  in  1802.  Landau,  at  that  time,  belonged  to 
France,  and  was  a  fortified  city  with  a  population  of 
nine  thousand.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  John  Worms 


143 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


left  home  and  walked  to  Paris,  a  distance  of  three  hun¬ 
dred  miles.  He  remained  in  Paris  eleven  years,  follow¬ 
ing  the  occupation  of  shoe-making.  When  twenty-four 
years  of  age,  he  went  to  Havre,  and  from  there  sailed 
for  the  West  Indies,  where  he  spent  some  time  on  the 
islands  of  Martinique,  Guadeloupe,  Porto  Rico,  and 
Cuba.  After  remaining  there  three  years,  he  visited 
Vera  Cruz,  Ea  Puebla,  and  the  City  of  Mexico.  He 
then  returned  to  Havana,  Cuba,  where  he  continued 
about  five  years.  In  1835  sailed  from  Havana  for 
New  Orleans;  and,  after  one  year,  sailed  for  New  York. 
After  a  year’s  residence  there,  he  removed  to  Baltimore, 
and  in  a  short  time  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained 
two  years.  Having  a  desire  to  return  to  his  native  city, 
he  embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel,  in  the  winter  of  1839, 
for  Havre.  Having  accumulated  a  small  fortune,  he 
was  enabled  to  remain  in  France  one  year,  when  he 
again  sailed  for  the  United  States.  He  arrived  in  New 
Orleans  in  the  summer  of  1841,  and  started  a  new  enter¬ 
prise, —  that  of  trading  among  the  Indians  of  Western 
Arkansas  and  Indian  Territory.  As  the  country,  at  that 
time,  had  few  white  settlers,  it  was  a  hazardous  experi¬ 
ment;  but  he  continued  to  trade  during  four  years, 
meeting  with  great  success.  In  1845  he  removed  to 
Natchez-,  Mississippi,  where  he  engaged  in  the  clothing 
business  until  1858.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  Water¬ 
loo,  New  York.  He  married,  in  New  Orleans,  in  1842, 
and  has  seven  children, —  three  sons  and  four  daughters. 
Three  of  the  latter  are  married,  and  reside  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  Mr.  Worms  is  a  member,  in  high  stand¬ 
ing,  of  the  Masonic,  Odd-Fellow,  and  Harugari  Lodges. 
11  e  is  an  inveterate  smoker,  and  may  always  be  seen  with 
a  cigar  or  pipe.  He  has  invested  about  four  hundred 
dollars  in  pipes,  and  takes  great  pride  in  his  collection. 
He  is  hospitable  and  jovial,  and  is  fond  of  good  stories. 
He  is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago.  He  is  seventy-five 
years  of  age,  and  as  hale  and  hearty  as  a  man  of  fifty. 
Henry  Worms  attended  school  from  the  time  he  was  six 
until  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age.  He  then  became 
clerk  in  his  father’s  store.  When  twenty  years  old,  he 
concluded  to  start  in  business  for  himself.  He  accord¬ 
ingly  went  to  Titusville,  Pennsylvania,  and  engaged  in 
the  clothing  business,  establishing  branch  stores  at 
Shaffer  Farm,  Plumer,  and  Pithole  City.  He  obtained 
credit  for  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  this  business, 
which  he  conducted  successfully,  making  an  honorable 
record.  The  oil  excitement  having  subsided,  he  removed 
to  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  in  the  si)ring  of  1867,  where  he 
met  with  business  reverses.  From  Ypsilanti,  he  removed 
to  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  engaged  in  the  commission 
business,  and  in  speculating.  Not  meeting  with  great 
success,  however,  he  decided  to  return  to  Michigan.  In 
the  spring  of  1871,  he  engaged  in  a  new  enterprise, — 
the  traveling  auction  business,  in  which  he  was  successful. 
He  returned  to  the  North  in  the  spring  of  1873,  and 


settled  in  Grand  Haven,  Michigan.  There  he  opened  a 
large  retail  clothing  store,  in  conducting  which  he  is 
very  successful.  He  may  well  be  termed  one  of  the 
self-made  men  of  the  times. 

- - 

»^OODRUFF,  DR.  ELMER,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
!'  son  of  Marts  and  Susan  (Belden)  Woodruff, 
/  was  born  in  Farmington,  Connecticut,  February 
22,  1816.  W  hile  he  was  yet  a  child,  his  parents  removed 
to  Cortland  County,  New  York,  and  settled  on  a  farm. 
Remaining  there  during  his  childhood,  he  had  no  other 
educational  advantages  than  those  afforded  by  the  dis¬ 
trict  school.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  became  an 
apprentice  in  the  shop  of  a  cabinet-maker,  in  the  village 
of  Homer,  Cortland  County.  In  1836  he  removed  to 
Michigan,  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  Homer,  Calhoun 
County,  and  at  Union  City,  on  the  St.  Joseph  River. 
Afterwards  he  removed  to  Albion,  and  carried  on  the 
cabinet  business  until  1857.  In  December,  1851,  he  set 
out  for  California,  taking  passage  in  a  steamer  at  New 
York;  but  a  distressing  accident  occurred  on  the  way, 
compelling  his  return.  As  the  vessel  neared  the  Isthmus, 
some  of  the  passengers  began  firing  at  the  sea-birds; 
one  of  the  guns  was  accidentally  discharged,  the  ball 
passing  through  Mr.  Woodruff’s  left  lung  and  coming 
out  at  the  back.  The  blood  poured  from  this  terrible 
wound  until  life  was  nearly  extinct.  The  only  hope  was 
to  send  him  back  in  the  same  steamer  to  New  York, 
and  place  him  under  the  most  skillful  surgeons.  This 
done,  he  was,  after  months  of  suffering,  fully  restored. 
His  case  excited  such  interest  among  the  medical  pro¬ 
fession  of  New  York,  that  a  facsimile  of  the  wounded 
lung  was  made,  and  is  still  preserved  in  the  Anatomical 
Museum  in  that  city.  In  1857  Mr.  Woodruff  turned 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  medicine;  and,  two  years 
afterwards,  became  a  practitioner  in  Decatur,  Van  Buren 
County.  In  1861  he  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  where 
he  has  since  been  in  successful  practice  as  a  botanic 
physician.  On  the  30th  of  May,  1868,  he  helped  to 
organize  “The  First  Society  of  Spiritualists,”  and  was 
elected  Secretary,  which  office  he  still  holds.  Since  the 
year  1852,  Dr.  Woodruff,  like  Swedenborg,  Davis,  and 
others,  has  been  made  an  instrument  for  the  manifesta¬ 
tions  of  certain  mental  phenomena; — whether  these  are 
solely  the  result  of  the  operation  of  unknown  laws,  or 
caused,  as  many  claim,  by  spirit  intelligences,  should 
not  here  be  discussed.  These  phenomena  are  termed 
clairvoyance,  clairaudience,  and  impressional  communion. 
In  these  “superior  conditions,”  he  claims  to  commune 
with  exalted  spiritual  beings,  and  to  have  had  glorious 
prophetic  visions.  One  of  these  revelations  he  once 
published  in  a  pamphlet,  which  elicited  correspondence 
from  various  parts  of  the  United  States.  Its  truth  or 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


H3 


falsity  will  be  determined  on  the  26th  of  January,  1889. 
He  is  now  writing  a  medical  treatise,  and  a  work  on 
the  origin  of  planets,  entitled  “God  in  Nature,  or  the 
Keys  of  the  Kingdoms.”  Dr.  Woodruff  has  little  knowl- 
sdge  of  books,  and  attributes  all  his  important  work  to 
the  aid  of  departed  spirits.  From  1859  to  1861,  spir¬ 
itually  directed  and  sustained,  as  he  believes,  he  lectured 
and  held  public  discussions  on  “Spiritualism  and  the 
Bible,”  through  Michigan,  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Mis¬ 
souri.  Under  the  same  influence,  he  has  ever  since 
diagnosed  disease,  and  made  and  prescribed  remedies. 
He  has  a  fondness  for  mineralogical  and  other  speci¬ 
mens,  and  has  collected  a  choice  cabinet.  Dr.  Woodruff 
married,  July  3,  1837,  Miss  Eleanor  Burt.  They  have 
four  children, —  one  son  and  three  daughters.  Dr.  Wood¬ 
ruff  is  tall  and  well  proportioned.  Pie  has  a  kindly 
face  and  high  head,  which  indicate  the  dominant  traits 
of  his  character,  namely,  benevolence  and  spirituality. 
The  latteV  has  already  been  shown ;  the  former  is  illus¬ 
trated  by  his  many  acts  of  charity.  He  is  generous 
almost  to  a  fault.  He  never  sued,  and  seldom  presses 
for  payment.  Dr.  Woodruff’s  religious  or  philosophical 
opinions  meet  with  less  opposition  than  formerly ;  and, 
as  if  in  fulfillment  of  his  own  predictions,  his  life  flows 
smoothly  on  towards  the  calmly  anticipated  change. 

- ►c>* - 

JJiToRAIS,  JULIUS,  Merchant,  of  Grand  Haven, 
'nilil'  l^Lcl^igan,  is  the  youngest  son  of  John  Worms. 

He  was  born  in  Natchez,  Mississippi,  March 
30,  1847.  His  parents  removed  to  Waterloo,  Seneca 
County,  New  York,  when  he  was  eleven  years  of  age; 
and  he  attended  school  there  until  he  was  fifteen.  He 
then  became  clerk  in  his  father’s  store,  where  he  re¬ 
mained  until  the  oil  excitement,  in  1865.  At  that  time, 
with  his  brother,  Henry,  he  established  a  store  at  Titus¬ 
ville,  Pennsylvania.  Meeting  with  success,  they  estab¬ 
lished  branches  at  Shaffer  P'arm,  on  Oil  Creek,  and 
Plumer,  on  Cherry  Run.  They  also  opened  the  first 
clothing  store  in  Pithole  City ;  this  place  was  then 
prosperous,  but  has  since  become  uninhabited,  the  oil 
fever  having  subsided.  In  1866  Mr.  Worms  went  to 
"^’psilanti,  Michigan,  where  he  again  engaged  in  busi¬ 
ness  with  his  brother.  In  1868  he  purchased  the  entire 
interest,  and  moved  to  Lafayette,  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  but  a  few  months.  '  Here  he  sold  out  to  good 
advantage,  and,  in  1869,  moved  to  Memphis,  Tennessee, 
where  he  engaged,  with  his  brother,  in  the  sale  of  pro¬ 
duce,  hides,  and  furs.  He  traveled  all  through  the 
Southern  States,  extending  his  trips  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
and  going  once  as  far  as  the  City  of  Mexico.  The 
partnership  was  dissolved  in  1871;  but  Mr.  Julius 
Worms  remained  in  Memphis  until  the  early  part  of 
1872,  when  he  returned  to  Michigan.  In  1873  he  re¬ 


moved  to  Grand  Haven,  where  he  has  since  been 
engaged  in  mercantile  business.  He  is  now  considered 
the  most  solid  merchant  in  that  enterprising  city.  He 
purchases  all  goods  for  cash,  and  has  met  with  the  most 
flattering  success.  In  the  spring  of  1877,  he  purchased, 
in  Chicago,  Illinois,  a  large  bankrupt  stock,  which  he 
removed  to  Muskegon,  Michigan;  and,  in  the  short 
period  of  seventy  days,  disposed  of  the  whole,  at  an 
immense  profit.  Mr.  Worms  is  well  acquainted  with 
nearly  all  parts  of  the  Union.  There  is  no  State  he  has 
not  visited,  and  his  geographical  information  is  very 
extensive.  He  receives  newspapers  from  all  parts  of 
the  country.  His  habits  are  unexceptionable;  he  has 
never  used  stimulants,  nor  tobacco  in  any  form.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity.  He  is  cautious, 
determined,  and  shrewd.  His  brother  never  undertakes 
any  enterprise  -without  consulting  him  ;  and,  when  they 
plan  together,  they  scarcely  know  the  word  fail.  It  is 
seldom  that  two  brothers  are  so  warmly  attaehed  to  each 
other.  Julius  Worms  is  only  thirty-one  years  of  age, 
and  has  bright  prospects  before  him.  He  is  unmarried. 
He  is  liberal,  and  always  ready  to  help  the  unfortunate. 

- K>« - 

W.ELLS,  MORRIS  B.,  late  of  Ionia,  was  born 
^  February  3,  1S34,  in  Hartwick,  Otsego  County, 
,!>'•  New  York.  Two  years  later  his  parents  re¬ 
moved  to  Paris,  Ontario,  where,  after  the  death  of  his 
mother,  June  13,  1838,  he  lived  with  his  uncle  nearly 
six  years.  In  1843  his  father,  taking  his  son  with  him, 
emigrated  to  Michigan,  and  settled  near  Fallasburg, 
Kent  County.  Morris  Wells  early  showed  great  apti¬ 
tude  in  learning  and  fondness  for  study.  He  attended 
the  county  schools  with  scrupulous  regularity ;  after 
which  he  was  engaged  some  time  as  teacher  ,  at  Kidd- 
ville,  Ionia  County.  He  also  taught  a  school  at  Smyrna. 
In  1855  he  went  to  Oberlin  College,  Oberlin,  Ohio;  and, 
in  1856,  to  Antioch  College,  Yellow  Springs,  Ohio,  which 
at  that  time  ranked  among  the  leading  universities  in 
the  country.  While  in  these  colleges,  he  devoted  a  great 
portion  of  his  time  to  the  study  of  the  natural  sciences, 
in  which  he  became  well  versed.  He  took  special  de¬ 
light  in  the  study  of  botany;  and  became  a  fine  Latin, 
German,  and  French  scholar.  Being  dependent  upon 
his  own  exertions,  he  worked  early  and  late  to  obtain 
the  means  of  remaining  in  college.  His  graduations 
wei-e  attended  with  enviable  testimonials  of  scholarship 
and  ability.  In  1857  he  removed  to  Ionia,  and  remained 
in  the  law  office  of  his  brother  two  years.  He  was  then, 
after  a  very  creditable  examination,  admitted  to  the  bar. 
His  studious  habits  and  thirst  for  knowledge  led  him  to 
enter  Michigan  University  as  a  member  of  the  first  law 
class.  Afterwards,  returning  to  Ionia,  he  formed  a  co¬ 
partnership  with  his  brother,  which  continued  until  he 


144 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


emered  the  army.  He  was  full  of  hope  and  ambition, 
and  had  a  constantly  increasing  practice.  In  the  fall  of 
iS6o,  he  was  elected  Circuit  Court  Commissioner  for 
Ionia  County.  In  the  spring  of  i86i,  shortly  after  the 
fifing  upon  Fort  Sumter,  he  resigned  his  official  position, 
and  enlisted  in  Company  B,  of  the  i6th  Michigan  Regi¬ 
ment.  He  was  appointed  Second  Lieutenant  of  the 
company,  which  was  ordered  to  join  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  was  for  a  time  quartered  near  Yorktown, 
Virginia.  Lieutenant  Wells  was  put  on  recruiting  serv¬ 
ice,  and  returned  to  Ionia,  where  he  did  efficient  work 
in  organizing  the  2ist  Regiment,  of  which  he  was  made 
Adjutant.  He  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  all  the  engage¬ 
ments  in  which  his  regiment  participated.  During  the 
series  of  contests  at  Stone  River,  he  received  a  slight 
wound  in  the  shoulder.  Shortly  after,  for  meritorious 
conduct,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel.  During  the  terrible  onset  made  by  General 
Bragg  to  win  back  the  stronghold  of  Chattanooga  from 
the  Union  forces,  under  Rosecrans  and  Thomas,  Colonel 
Wells,  it  is  supposed,  was  among  the  first  to  fall.  Judge 
Wells,  upon  receiving  the  news  of  his  brother’s  death, 
immediately  set  out  for  the  battle-field,  in  the  hope  of 
obtaining  his  body;  but  his  efforts  were  unsuccessful,  as 
the  rebel  forces  had  possession  of  the  ground.  Hopes 
were  entertained  that  he  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and 
would  eventually  return  ;  but  these  were  dispelled  upon 
the  liberation  of  all  prisoners  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
The  recent  discovery  of  his  grave  has  removed  all  doubts. 
Colonel  Wells  had  one  brother,  W.  B.  Wells,  of  Ionia,  and 
one  sister,  Elizabeth  Trumble,  who  lives  in  the  township 
of  Grattan,  Kent  County,  Michigan.  In  the  various  sta¬ 
tions  of  life  to  which  he  was  called,  Morris  B.  Wells  was 
faithful,  and  successful  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty. 
He  was  mild  and  forbearing  in  disposition,  and  always 
courteous  and  affable.  He  was  a  fluent  and  forcible 
speaker  and  writer,  expressing  strength,  candor,  and 
breadth  of  thought.  His  impartiality  as  a  military  com¬ 
mander  gained  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-ofiicers,  and  the 
admiration  of  his  men.  He  relinquished  the  most  flat¬ 
tering  prospects  of  becoming  a  distinguished  member  of 
the  bar  to  risk  his  life  for  his  country.  Colonel  Wells 
was  a  man  whose  character,  whether  as  a  brave  soldier 
or  an  unpretending  lawyer,  is  well  worthy  the  emulation. 
Since  the  nation  has  appropriated  a  day  for  strewing 
with  flowers  the  Northern  graves  of  its  brave  defenders, 
it  is  well  that  we  turn  for  a  moment  to  their  unknown, 
though  not  unthought-ol.  Southern  graves. 

“  Cover  the  thousands  wlio  sleep  far  away, — 

Sleep  where  their  friends  can  not  find  them  to-day; 

They  who,  in  mountain,  and  hill-side,  and  dell. 

Rest  where  they  wearied,  and  lie  where  they  fell. 

Softly  the  grass  blade  creeps  ’round  their  repose; 

Sweetly,  above  them,  the  wild  flow’ret  blows; 

Zcphj’rs  of  Freedom  fly  gently  o’erhead. 

Whispering  names  for  the  patriot  dead.” 


^  ^^OUNG,  GEORGE,  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  born  in 
^  Schoharie,  Schoharie  County,  New  York,  -May 
29,  1799.  His  ancestors,  among  the  first  emi- 
grants  from  the  Netherlands  to  America,  settled 
on  the  Hudson  River.  His  father,  Elias  Young,  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  in  Schoharie  County.  Soon  after 
the  death  of  his  mother,  he  went  to  Albany  with  his 
father.  While  in  that  city,  Mr.  Young  became  ac¬ 
quainted  with  Mr.  D.  B.  Slingerland,  a  wholesale  dry- 
goods  and  grocery  merchant,  who  prevailed  upon  him 
to  leave  his  son  as  an  apprentice  in  the  business.  The 
boy  had  early  manifested  a  desire  to  become  a  merchant, 
and  was  much  pleased  with  this  offer.  He  was  then  but 
eight  years  of  age,  and  was  bound  to  remain  an  appren¬ 
tice  until  he  was  eighteen ;  when  he  was  to  be  employed 
as  a  clerk  on  a  fair  salary,  his  time  and  money  to  be  his 
own.  He  had  learned  the  multiplication  table,  and  had 
studied  German  six  months.  He  had  also  spent  the 
same  amount  of  time  on  English,  but  could  speak  it 
very  imperfectly,  as  the  language  of  Holland  had  been 
used  exclusively  in  his  home.  It  is  still  spoken  by 
the  remaining  members  of  the  family.  George  Young 
served  his  time  with  Mr.  Slingerland  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  give  entire  satisfaction.  He  spent  his  leisure  in 
study,  and  became  master  of  the  German,  Holland,  and 
English  languages.  He  obtained  a  complete  knowledge 
of  the  business  in  which  he  was  engaged;  and,  when 
his  term  of  apprenticeship  expired,  was  able  to  command 
a  large  salary.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
with  the  assistance  of  his  uncle,  he  became  the  equal 
partner  of  his  employer,  with  whom  he  remained  until, 
on  account  of  age  and  infirmity,  Mr.  Slingerland  retired. 
Their  trade  was  large  and  profitable,  extending  over  the 
principal  part  of  the  counties  of  Schoharie,  Montgom¬ 
ery,  Otsego,  Herkimer,  Saratoga,  and  Chenango.  Soon 
after  his  partner  retired,  Mr.  Young  employed  as  clerk 
Abraham  Ehle,  a  young  German,  who  had  a  fair  knowl¬ 
edge  of  mercantile  business.  In  a  short  time,  Mr. 
Ehle’s  father,  who  was  a  man  of  some  means  and 
influence,  aided  him  in  purchasing  an  interest  in  the 
business;  and  a  partnership  was  formed  under  the  name 
of  Young  &  Ehle.  The  firm  carried  on  a  profitable 
business  on  State  street,  opposite  the  Albany  City  Bank, 
until  1830,  when  Mr.  Ehle,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
desired  to  retire.  They  had  acquired  sufiicient  capital 
to  make  them  independent;  and,  having  established  a 
good  business,  were  able  to  sell  their  stock  for  its  full 
value.  Mr.  Young  then  moved  onto  a  fine  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  lying  between  the  villages  of 
Ovid  and  Lodi.  May  10,  1832,  he  began  work  on  his 
farm,  feeling  great  relief  at  being  able  to  lay  aside  the 
care  and  anxiety  of  mercantile  life.  Active  and  pros¬ 
perous  as  a  merchant,  he  was  equally  so  as  a  farmer. 
In  1836,  having  been  offered  a  good  price  for  his  farm, 
he  sold  it,  and  started  for  the  West.  He  traveled  the 


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REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


145 


whole  distance  from  Ovid,  New  York,  to  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  on  horseback,  in  the  month  of  December. 
He  selected  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  on  the 
lake,  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Grand  Rapids ; 
and,  ten  miles  east  of  that  village,  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  on  the  Thornapple  River.  In  May,  1837, 
he  sent  his  family  to  Utica,  New  York,  while  he  ac¬ 
companied  his  hired  man,  with  nine  head  of  Durham 
cattle,  two  yoke  of  oxen,  and  a  wagon,  to  his  Western 
farm.  In  the  month  of  August,  they  were  all  settled  in 
their  new  home.  From  the  time  of  their  arrival  until 
1846,  the  growth  of  Western  Michigan  was  compara¬ 
tively  slow.  The  portion  between  Grand  River  and 
Lake  Michigan,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  small  set¬ 
tlements,  was  almost  entirely  a  wilderness.  About  that 
time,  Mr.  Young  was  informed  that  a  colony  of  nearly 
seven  thousand  Hollanders  was  coming  to  this  country, 
and  that  its  leader.  Rev.  Albertus  C.  Van  Raalte, 
was  to  visit  Grand  Rapids  with  a  view  of  looking  for  a 
location  between  that  j^lace  and  Lake  Michigan.  They 
desired  to  settle  on  a  stream  running  into  the  lake,  that 
they  might  have  a  harbor  for  their  vessels  and  water 
communication  with  other  places.  As  an  effort  was 
being  made  to  induce  them  to  go  to  Wisconsin  or  Iowa, 
Mr.  Young  was  requested  to  obtain  an  interview  with 
Rev.  A.  C.  Van  Raalte,.  and  show  him  that  it  was  for 
the  interest  of  the  colony  to  settle  on  Black  River,  in 
Ottawa  County,  Michigan.  Meeting  the  gentleman  at 
the  Rathbun  House,  in  the  company  of  Hon.  J.  R. 
Kellogg,  of  Allegan,  Mr.  Young  introduced  himself  in 
the  Holland  language.  Finding  a  man  with  whom  he 
could  converse  in  his  own  tongue,  a  member  of  the 
church  of  which  he  was  himself  a  minister,  whose  only 
motives  in  persuading  were  the  growth  of  the  country 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  colony,  was  a  great  satisfaction 
to  Mr.  Van  Raalte.  He  talked  freely  with  both  Mr. 
Young  and  Mr.  Kellogg,  and  decided  that  the  best 
location  was  on  Black  Lake  and  River,  in  Ottawa 
County.  The  colonists  accordingly  made  a  settlement 
there,  of  which  Michigan  may  well  be  proud.  They 
found  the  country  well  adapted  to  their  wants,  and 
prospered  in  every  way.  As  Mr.  Young  was  familiar 
with  the  mercantile  business  and  the  language  of  the 
people,  many  of  his  friends  desired  him  to  open  a  store 
in  the  place.  This  he  did  not  wish  to  do,  but  offered 
his  assistance  in  purchasing.  Mr.  B.  Groetenhins  was 
selected;  and,  in  company  with  Mr.  Young,  bought  in 
New  York  the  first  stock  of  goods.  Most  of  the  sup¬ 
plies  for  the  colony  were  furnished  by  Grand  Rapids ; 
the  surplus  grain  received  a  natural  .market ;  and  the 
whole  country  was  benefited  by  the  reviving  trade. 
Many  of  the  Hollanders  bought  farms  in  the  vicinity  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Kalamazoo,  and  Allegan,  but  most  of 
them  remained  in  the  colony.  Its  success  attracted  Rev. 
Cornelius  Vander  Meulin,  who,  with  another  large  col¬ 


ony,  settled  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  town  of 
Zeeland,  situated  between  Grand  Rapids  and  the  tlol- 
land  Colony.  Emigration  from  Holland  continued  for 
many  years,  and  has  not  yet  entirely  ceased.  The  first 
church  was  organized  by  Mr.  Young  and  a  few  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  long  before  the  arrival  of 
the  emigrants.  The  society  struggled  for  many  years : 
and,  being  without  a  minister  on  the  coming  of  Rev. 
Van  Raalte,  gave  to  him  the  use  of  the  church  building. 

- KX - 

^!|TiEOMANS,  PION.  SANFORD  A.,  Ionia,  Michigan, 
born  in  the  town  of  German  Flats,  Herkimer 
^^1  County,  New  York,  November  16,  1816.  He  is 
the  eldest  of  nine  children,  and  received  his  edu¬ 
cation  in  the  public  schools  of  his  birthplace.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen,  he  joined,  with  his  parents,  the  colony 
which  first  settled  in  the  Grand  River  Valley.  He  re¬ 
mained  with  them  until  he  was  twenty-four,  sharing  in  all 
the  hardships  of  pioneer  life.  At  that  time  he  took  forty 
acres  of  land  for  himself,  which,  by  industry  and  economy, 
has  been  steadily  enlarged,  until  it  is  now  nearly  a  sec¬ 
tion  in  size,  and  joins  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city  of 
Ionia  on  the  north-west.  In  January,  1840,  he  married 
Abigail  Thompson,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Levi  Thompson, 
of  Pownal,  Bennington  County,  Vermont.  She  had 
come  to  Michigan  with  her  uncle,  Dexter  Arnold,  and 
his  family,  who  settled  in  Ionia  County.  By  this  union 
four  children  were  born  to  him,  three  of  whom,  two 
sons  and  one  daughter,  are  still  living.  Shortly  after  the 
birth  of  the  fourth  child,  his  wife  died.  In  November, 
1848,  he  married  Marietta  A.,  daughter  of  the  late 
Chauncey  M.  Stebbins.  Mrs.  Yeomans  is  still  living,  the 
happy  mother  of  three  children,  Mr.  Yeomans  has  ever 
been  an  industrious,  energetic  man,  of  powerful  will, 
and  richly  endowed  with  that  mental  quality  more  to 
be  desired  than  genius, —  common  sense.  Few  of  the 
earlier  settlers  of  the  Grand  River  country  have  had 
greater  success.  From  a  small  beginning,  there  has  been, 
in  his  case,  steady  and  uninterrupted  progression  in  all 
the  material  interests  in  which  he  has  engaged.  Each 
year  of  energetic  effort  has  secured  its  legitimate  reward, 
and  his  labors  in  the  acquirement  of  wealth  and  pros¬ 
perity  have  been  uniformly  successful.  His  fellow-citi¬ 
zens  have  shown- their  confidence  in  him  by  successively 
electing  him  to  many  positions  of  trust  and  responsi¬ 
bility  in  his  town  and  county.  In  1859  he  was  appointed 
one  of  the  Commissioners  to  lay  the  Ionia,  Houghton 
and  Mackinaw  State  Road.  In  1S67  he  was  a  member 
of  the  State  Convention  to  revise  the  Constitution  of 
Michigan.  In  1876  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legisla¬ 
ture  from  the  district  in  which  he  has  resided  for  nearly 
half  a  century.  He  is  a  prominent  stockholder  and 


146 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHICxAN. 


Director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ionia.  In  this,  t 
as  in  other  business  relations,  he  has  won  the  respect  and  f 
confidence  of  the  community.  He  is  now  in  the  prime  t 
of  life  and  strength,  and  may  confidently  look  forward  1 
to  many  years  of  service  and  usefulness.  Hon.  Erastus  c 
Yeomans,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born 
in  Lebanon,  Connecticut,  August  ii,  I79i-  At  the  age 
of  sixteen,  he  removed,  with  his  parents,  to  German  ( 
Flats,  Herkimer  County,  New  York.  The  ensuing  year  1 
he  engaged  as  teacher  in  one  of  the  public  schools  of  the  1 
county.  Evidence  of  his  efficiency  in  this  capacity  at  i 
the  early  age  of  seventeen,  is  given  in  the  fact  that  he  i 
continued  in  the  same  school  for  nearly  three  years,  with  ] 
an  advance  of  salary  each  year.  Soon  after  this,  in  the 
War  of  1812,  he  demonstrated  his  fitness  to  be  a  citizen 
of  the  Republic  by  taking  his  place  in  the  ranks  of  her  1 
defenders.  March  19,  1815,  he  married  Phoebe  Arnold,  : 
of  Fairfield,  New  York.  Plis  parents  being  advanced  ' 
in  years,  their  care  devolved  upon  himself  and  wife  ;  and 
the  duty  was  conscientiously  discharged.  Discerning 
that  the  future  of  his  young  family  would  be  improved 
in  the  West,  he  emigrated,  with  five  other  families,  to 
the  then  Territory  of  Michigan.  The  magnitude  of  such 
an  undertaking  can,  at  this  time,  hardly  be  estimated. 
The  party,  having  chartered  a  canal-boat,  put  on  board 
all  their  goods,  and  embarked  for  the  West,  April  20, 
1823,  arriving  at  Buffalo  on  the  7th  of  May.  Here  the 
heavy  household  goods  and  farming  implements  were 
shipped  by  sailing-vessel  to  Grand  Plaven,  and  the  party 
went  by  steamer  to  Detroit.  After  the  necessary  prepa¬ 
rations  for  a  trip  across  the  Territory,  the  company 
started,  passing  through  Pontiac  and  other  settlements 
in  their  course.  On  the  eighth  day  out,  they  took  a 
guide,  to  lead  them  through  the  wilderness,  in  which 
they  had  to  cut  their  way  slowly  and  painfully.  When 
about  thirty  miles  from  their  destination,  they  were 
detained  by  an  event  distressing  and  mournful  in  char¬ 
acter, —  the  sickness,  death,  and  burial  of  a  child  of  one 
of  the  families.  Resuming  their  march,  they  reached 
the  present  site  of  Ionia  City  on  the  28th  of  May.  The 
purchase  from  the  Indians  of  little  patches  of  clearing,' 
with  crops  of  corn  and  vegetables  planted,  having  been 
effected,  the  party  exchanged  their  tents  for  bark  wig¬ 
wams.  The  Indians,  well  satisfied  with  the  bargain, 
moved  on  a  few  miles,  to  be  ready  for  a  similar  transac¬ 
tion  with  the  next  new-comers.  A  number  of  the  most 
able-bodied  colonists  were  now  sent  to  convey  to  their 
settlement,  on  flat-bottomed  boats,  propelled  by  poles 
and  strong  arms,  the  goods  which  had  been  landed  at 
Grand  Haven.  This  accomplished,  the  erection  of  more 
suitable  dwellings  was  begun.  Not  the  least  of  the  dis¬ 
comforts  endured  by  them  at  this  time  were  the  mosqui¬ 
toes.  An  empty  wine  pipe,  in  which  articles  had  been 
packed,  placed  with  the  open  end  toward  a  smudge, 
afforded  to  Mr.  Yeomans  a  secure  retreat,  and  an  oppor¬ 


tunity  for  much-needed  slumber.  The  season  being  so 
far  advanced,  only  the  corn  and  vegetables  purchased  of 
the  Indians  could,  for  that  year,  be  grown.  They  had 
made  no  provision  for  grinding  the  corn,  and,  conse¬ 
quently,  had  to  prepare  it  for  food  in  the  Indian  fashion. 
The  large  stumps  of  trees,  yet  firmly  fixed  in  the  ground, 
were  hollowed  into  mortars,  in  which  the  corn  was 
crushed,  until,  by  obtaining  a  large  coffee-mill,  it  could 
be  coarsely  ground.  This  source  of  supply  served  to 
bridge  over  the  times  of  sharp  necessity  caused  by 
scarcity  of  breadstuff,  which  could  be  obtained  only 
from  Detroit,  by  the  way  of  Grand  Haven.  In  1835  ^ 
run  of  small  millstones  was  procured,  and  put  in  the 
basement  of  the  saw-mill  which  had  been  erected.  With 
the  official  organization  and  administration  of  the  affairs 
of  his  county  and  town,  Mr.  Erastus  Yeomans  was  closely 
identified.  He  was  appointed  first  Postmaster  of  Ionia 
County,  which  position  he  held  for  six  years.  In  1841 
he  was  elected  Associate  Judge  of  the  county,  continuing 
to  serve  in  that  capacity  for  eight  years.  He  has  always 
been  active  in  advancing  the  best  interests  of  humanity, 
and  of  the  community.  He  is  the  only  surviving  one  of 
the  five  pioneers  who,  with  their  families,  constituted 
the  colony;  and  now,  in  his  eighty-seventh  year,  the 
representative  of  four  generations,  he  is,  physically  and 
mentally,  younger  than  many  men  at  seventy.  Without 
departure  from  truth,  it  may  be  said  of  him,  that  “the 
silvery  radiance  cast  athwart  his  locks  by  the  sunset  of 
life”  is  not  dimmed  by  a  single  chai'ge  of  wrong  to  his 
fellow-men.  Justice  requires  more  than  the  simple  allu¬ 
sion  to  the  wife  and  mother  made  in  foregoing  lines. 
She  was  born  in  Smithfield,.  Rhode  Island,  March  18, 
1797.  At  an  early  age,  she  removed,  with  her  parents, 
to  Fairfield,  Herkimer  County,  New  York.  Possessing, 
to  an  eminent  degree,  soundness  of  judgment  and  mental 
force,  she  stood  by  her  husband,  “staying  up  his  hands,” 
and  bearing  nobly  her  burdens  and  hardships  as  a 
“pioneer  mother.”  One  incident  may  be  mentioned  as 
illustrative  of  her  character.  The  delusion  of  Millerism, 
which  swept  over  the  land,  found  many  believers  among 
her  neighbors  and  friends.  Even  the  church  of  which  her¬ 
self  and  husband  had  been  almost  lifelong  members  did 
not  escape, —  the  pastor  himself  becoming  a  convert.  In 
one  of  the  last  meetings  before  the  direful  day,  her 
intense  convictions  overcame  a  naturally  retiring  dispo¬ 
sition  ;  and,  rising  in  her  place,  she  denounced  the  whole 
thing  as  a  sham  and  a  delusion,  disgraceful  alike  to  a  Chris¬ 
tian  profession  or  common  intelligence.  On  the  conclu¬ 
sion  of  her  remarks,  the  meeting  was  closed ;  no  one 
feeling  able  to  escape  the  force  of  her  denunciation.  Her 
life  exemplified  the  qualities  of  a  true  wife  and  mother, 
so  eloquently  delineated  by  Solomon.  The  “rest  that 
remains  for  the  people  of  God”  has  been  hers  for  many 
years;  but  her  memory  is  treasured  as  a  rich  heritage  by 
her  friends  and  descendants. 


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4 


Jin>i^byH BWaUSrSini.  RBarday  SbNY 


REPRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


147 


•UTTERWORTH,  RICHARD  EDWARD  EM¬ 
ERSON,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  was  born 
in  1806,  at  Port  Antonio,  on  the  island  of  Jamaica, 
British  West  Indies.  Plis  father,  a  Captain  in  the  British 
army,  was  the  commandant  of  Fort  George.  Mr.  Butter- 
worth  was  taken  to  England  while  yet  a  child,  and  was 
there  educated  in  school  and  college  until  he  had  attained 
his  twentieth  year.  He  was  then  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources ;  and,  choosing  the  business  of  a  civil  engi¬ 
neer,  he  placed  himself  with  Mr.  William  Nicholson, 
who  was  engaged  in  that  profession  at  Manchester. 
At  this  period,  the  education  and  elevation  of  the  oper¬ 
ative  classes  of  Great  Britain  began  to  engage  the 
attention  of  Lord  Brougham  and  other  British  states¬ 
men  ;  Chamber's  Journal,  Chamber's  Information  for  the 
People,  and  The  Penny  Magazine,  were  supplying  to  the 
masses  good  and  instructive  reading  matter,  at  prices 
within  their  means.  One  of  the  first  “Mechanics’  In¬ 
stitutes”  was  at  this  time  opened  in  Manchester;  and 
Mr.  Nicholson  was  solicited  to  deliver  the  opening 
course  of  scientific  lectures.  Under  his  direction,  Mr. 
Butterworth  drafted  all  the  diagrams  necessary  to  illus¬ 
trate  this  course  of  lectures,  and  also  became  a  teacher 
of  mechanical  drawing  to  a  class  of  nearly  one  hundred 
working  men,  chiefly  mechanics  and  engineers.  Among 
the  first  promoters  and  director's  of  this  institute  were 
Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  William  Fairbairn,  and  Mr.  Benja¬ 
min  Whitworth,  whose  reputation  as  civil  engineers 
subsequently  became  world-wide.  This  institute  was 
instrumental  in  winning  for  its  students  that  high  de¬ 
gree  of  mechanical  knowledge  and  skill  for  which  Man¬ 
chester  and  her  various  manufactures  have  since  become 
widely  known.  Mr.  Butterworth  recalls  the  construc¬ 
tion,  in  1830,  of  George  Stepheirson’s  locomotive,  the 
“Rocket;  ”  and  was  among  the  first  who  rode  upon  it  on 
its  trial  trip  across  Chat  Moss,  on  the  line  of  the  Liver¬ 
pool  and  Manchester  Railway.  On  this  trip,  the 
“Rocket”  rushed  over  the  road  at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles 
an  hour, —  a  speed  which  has  never  since  been  exceeded 
by  any  locomotive.  For  several  years,  Mr.  Butterworth 
was  engaged  at  Manchester  in  the  manufacture  of  cot¬ 
ton;  but  his  attention  had  been  directed  toward  the 
United  States,  more  especially  toward  the  Territory  of 
Michigan,  by  a  series  of  articles  published  in  Chamber’s 
Information  for  the  People.  He  therefore  decided  to  emi¬ 
grate  to  Michigan,  and  make  it  his  home.  Leaving 
Liverpool  on  the  steamship'  “  Great  Western,”  he  ar¬ 
rived  at  New  York,  in  May,  1842,  and  at  the  village  of 
Grand  Rapids  in  June  the  following  year.  The  village, 
at  that  date,  had  been  settled  but  ten  years.  The  land 
had  been  purchased  in  1832  by  Louis  Campau,  an  Indian 
trader,  from  the  United  States  Government;  and,  a  few 
years  subsequently,  the  northern  part  of  it  had  been  by 
him  sold  to  Lucius  Lyon,  the  Surveyor-General  of  the 
Northwest  Territory.  When  Mr.  Butterworth  arrived 


at  Grand  Rapids,  it  contained  but  a  few  hundred  inhabi¬ 
tants.  No  bridges  spanned  the  river;  Indian  trails 
formed  the  only  roads ;  traffic  in  furs  and  shingles  was 
the  only  trade  ;  the  land  did  not  produce  food  enough  for 
the  inhabitants,  and  the  greater  part  of  their  sui^plies 
had  to  be  brought,  during  the  winter  months,  from  the 
country  south.  Having  examined  the  location,  Mr. 
Butterworth  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  river,  about  two  miles  below  the  village.  In 
the  course  of  the  year,  he  fenced  and  partly  cleared  a 
hundred  acres,  and  sowed  forty  acres  of  wheat.  The 
following  winter  was  an  uncommonly  severe  one;  the  snow 
commenced  falling  in  the  middle  of  November,  and  lay 
on  the  ground  until  the  following  May.  The  supply  of 
food  for  man  and  beast  was  totally  inadequate.  Teams 
were  dispatched  south  for  grain,  pork,  and  straw,  taking 
land  plaster  and  shingles  to  pay  for  the  articles  required ; 
but,  despite  the  utmost  exertion  of  their  owners,  large 
numbers  of  cattle  perished  for  want  of  food  and  shelter. 
The  present  generation  have  but  little  conception  of 
the  sufferings  and  privations  of  those  who  preceded 
them  in  the  valley  of  the  Grand  River,  as  well  as  else¬ 
where  in  Michigan.  Between  Mr.  Butterworth’s  land 
and  the  village  of  Grand  Rapids  was  a  village,  or  set¬ 
tlement,  of  Ottawa  Indians.  They  had  been  converted 
to  the  Christian  faith,  and  were  in  charge  of  a  Hunga¬ 
rian  missionary,  named  Vizoiski.  In  his  little  chapel, 
this  worthy  man  preached  every  Sunday  four  times,  in 
as  many  languages,- — English,  French,  German,  and 
Indian.  In  October  of  each  year,  the  Michigan  Indi¬ 
ans  in  charge  of  the  Government  assembled  at  Grand 
Rapids  to  receive  the  annual  payment  that  the  Govern¬ 
ment  had  agreed  to  make  for  the  surrender  of  their 
rights  in  the  lands  north  of  Grand  River.  These  occa¬ 
sions  were  lively  and  exciting;  the  Indians  brought 
their  squaws  and  children ;  some  rode  on  ponies,  while 
othei's  came  in  large  bai'k  canoes,  bringing  maple  sugar, 
mats,  embroidered  moccasins,  and  gloves,  which  they 
readily  traded  for  articles  they  required  of  the  white 
settlers.  The  coin  paid  by  the  Government  was  the 
object  of  earnest  attention.  It  was  almost  immediately 
expended  by  the  Indians  in  purchasing  what  they  re¬ 
quired  of  the  settlers,  and  actually  constituted  all  the 
money  that  was  seen  from  year  to  year  in  the  settlement. 
From  1842  to  1850,  Mr.  Butterworth  engaged  in  the  cul¬ 
tivation  of  his  land;  he  surmounted  many  difficulties, 
but  his  hard  work  brought  small  profits.  The  Califor¬ 
nia  fever  reached  Grand  Rapids,  and  he  seriously  con¬ 
sidered  the  propriety  of  selling  his  land  and  going  west¬ 
ward.  About  that  time,  he  also  seriously  considered 
the  propriety  of  making  a  geological  survey  of  his  land. 
Plaster,  or  gypsum,  strata  were  worked  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  nearly  opposite  his  land,  and  his  investiga¬ 
tion  proved  that  large  and  valuable  beds  of  gypsum  un¬ 
derlay  a  great  portion  of  his  property.  Having  made 


148 


RErRESENTATIV^  MEN  OF  MICHIGAN. 


this  discovery,  he  gave  up  all  idea  of  going  to  Califor¬ 
nia.  He  proceeded  immediately,  with  such  help  as  he 
could  hire,  to  quarry  the  rock,  and  erect  a  mill,  with 
machinery  to  grind  it  for  land  plaster.  This  was  the 
first  discovery  of  plaster  rock  on  the  north-western  bank 
of  the  Grand  River.  Mr.  Butterworth  continued  the 
operation  of  his  mill  until  1856,  when  he  sold  the  land 
and  works  to  a  Boston  company  for  thirty-five  thousand 
dollars.  The  company  has  since  exjiended  large  sums, 
with  great  success,  quarrying  and  manufacturing  both 
land  and  stucco  plaster.  Having  thus  disjjosed  of  his 
property,  Mr.  Butterworth  removed  to  the  city  of  Grand 
Rapids,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Grand  River,  and  pur¬ 
chased  the  Grand  Rapids  Iron  Works.  Here,  for  twenty 
years,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  business  of  iron 
founder  and  machinist,  and  has  given  employment  to  a 
large  number  of  men.  In  1857  he  built  the  propeller, 
“Mary  Ann  Ryerson,”  and  completed  her  as  a  steam- 
tug,  with  all  the  necessary  engines  and  machinei^. 
Having  been  induced  to  believe  that  salt  might  be  ob¬ 
tained  under  his  land  in  the  city,  he  sunk  an  artesian 
well  five  hundred  feet  in  depth,  and  reached  salt  water. 
On  trial,  it  proved  to  be  of  insufficient  strength  for  profit¬ 
able  manufacture,  and,  although  he  joined  others  in 
boring  wells  in  the  neighborhood,  he  finally  abandoned 
the  work.  In  1861,  when  the  coal  oil  fever  was  rauinc, 
Mr.  Butterworth  took  men  and  machinery  to  the  Alle¬ 
ghany  River,  in  Pennsylvania;  and  there,  on  the  locality 
called  Panther  Run,  sunk  two  wells.  In  1862  he  erected 
a  refinery  near  his  foundry  in  Grand  Rapids,  and  there 
refined  the  crude  oil,  with  very  handsome  returns.  In 
1870  mineral  springs,  possessing  health-giving  and  cura¬ 
tive  properties,  having  been  discovered  in  various  parts 
of  Michigan,  Mr.  Butterworth  decided  to  bore  an  arte¬ 
sian  well,  with  a  view  to  striking  a  stream  of  mineral 
water.  Ihis  he  did,  and  reached  a  stream  possessed  of 
valuable  magnetic  and  medicinal  properties.  He  at 
once  fitted  up  a  commodious  bathing  establishment, 
which  was  attended,  for  two  years,  with  success.  How¬ 
ever,  the  water  was  so  highly  charged  with  chemical 
properties  that  it  consumed  the  iro^n  piping  of  the  well; 
the  magnetic  water,  as  it  arose  to  the  surface,  mixed  with 
other  waters  occupying  a  higher  level,  and  thus  became 
adulterated  and  impure;  and  the  establishment  had  to 
be  abandoned,  though  the  stream  still  continues  to  pour 
forth  its  waters  in  abundance.  Another  large  operation 
completed  by  Mr.  Butterworth  in  1875  was  the  pumping 
engines  and  machinery  of  the  Grand  Rapids  city  water¬ 
works.  This  is  believed  to  be  the  largest  work  of  this 
character  ever  erected  in  the  State,  west  of  Detroit. 
Many  other  large  and  excellent  engines  in  use  in  the 
city  have  been  built  at  his  shops.  He  has  also  erected, 
on  his  land  in  the  city,  several  brick  buildings  for  mills 
and  stores.  In  1827  Mr.  Butterworth  married  Miss  Ann 
Butterworth,  of  hlanchester,  England.  They  have  two 


I  daughters,  both  married,  and  living  in  Grand  Rapids. 
In  1872  he  suffered  the  loss  of  his  faithful  wife,  his  com¬ 
panion  forty-five  years.  Since  then,  he  has  engaged 
freely  in  foreign  travel,  having  visited  Europe  three 
times.  He  has  traveled  through  Egypt,  Palestine,  Tur¬ 
key,  and  Greece,  and  has  visited  the  various  cities  and 
points  of  interest  on  the  European  continent.  As  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  early  part  of  this  sketch,  Mr.  Butterworth, 
before  reaching  manhood,  attained  a  classical  education; 
during  his  subsequent  life,  he  has  gained  a  fund  of 
scientific  and  general  knowledge.  Having  been  afflicted 
with  deafness,  owing  to  the  accidental  fall  of  a  great 
shower  of  water  on  his  head,  he  has  been,  in  some  de¬ 
gree,  shut  out  from  the  enjoyment  of  social  intercourse, 
and  has  learned  to  depend  much  upon  reading.  En¬ 
dowed  with  a  good  memory,  he  has,  by  constant  use, 
improved  this  faculty,  and  now,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one  years,  its  retention  is  remarkable.  Flis  store  of 
information,  acquired  by  reading  and  travel,  is  ever  at 
the  service  of  his  friends;  while  his  mind,  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  his  temperate  life  and  vigorous  physique,  is 
possessed  of  as  much  energy  as  that  of  many  healthy 
persons  twenty  years  his  junior.  His  eyes,  bright  and 
clear,  take  cognizance  of  everything  within  their  range, 
and  largely  supply  his  defective  hearing.  The  latter 
defect  is  somewhat  overcome  by  the  use  of  an  ear- 
trumpet.  His  well-known  figure,  tall  and  energetic  as 
that  of  a  very  much  younger  man,  may  be  daily  seen 
on  the  way  from  his  residence  to  his  iron  works.  He 
attracts  the  notice  of  strangers  as  a  gentleman  of  un¬ 
common  activity  and  distinguished  appearance.  One 
can  not,  like  the  writer,  have  enjoyed  a  series  of  inter¬ 
views  with  Mr.  Butterworth  without  being  struck  by 
the  singular  grace  and  modesty  of  his  bearing.  In  his 
travels  he  has  collected  many  curiosities  in  Egypt  and 
Palestine,  together  with  a  large  collection  of  French 
photographs,  embracing  views  of  ancient  structures  and 
sculpture.  He  has  neglected  nothing  which  might 
serve  as  a  souvenir  of  his  various  travels,  and  freely 
exhibits  and  explains  these  treasures  to  those  who  man¬ 
ifest  intelligent  interest.  A  member  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Butterworth  is  liberal  in  his 
support  of  every  moral  and  Christian  organization.  His 
reputation  as  an  upright  gentleman  is  duly  recognized 
by  his  fellow-citizens,  with  whom  he  has  spent  the  last 
thirty  years  of  his  life. 


>f  ERRY,  HON.  TI-IOMAS  W.,  of  Grand  Haven, 
United  States  Senator,  and,  from  1875  to  March 
4,  1877,  President  of  the  United  States  Senate 
and  acting  Vice-President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  at  Mackinac,  Michigan,  June  i,  1827.  He  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Rev.  William  M.  Ferry,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  who  graduated  at  Union  College  in  1817, 


} 


RErRESENTATIVE  MEN  OF  MICEIIGAN. 


jind,  after  completing  his  theological  course,  in  1821, 
went  as  a  missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  to 
Mackinac,  Michigan.  There,  in  connection  with  his 
ministerial  labors,  he  established  a  school  for  white  and 
Indian  children.  After  twelve  years  of  unremitting 
toil,  his  health  failing,  he  removed  to  the  western  coast 
pf  Michigan,  and,  with  others,  founded  what  is  now  the 
city  of  Grand  Haven.  At  his  death,  which  occurred 
December  30,  1867,  he  left  generous  bequests  for  benev¬ 
olent  objects.  Thomas  W.  Ferry  was  but  six  years  old 
when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  the  wild  home  at 
Grand  Haven,  to  experience  the  hardships  and  adver¬ 
sities  of  pioneer  life. .  He  received  a  common-school 
education,  and  was  bred  to  business  pursuits.  With 
the  exception  of  two  years  spent  as  clerk  in  a  store  in 
Illinois,  he  remained  a  co-laborer  with  his  father  until 
the  latter’s  death,  in  1867.  In  partnership  with  his 
brother,  E.  P.  Ferry,  he  has  since  continued  the  lumber 
business,  which,  under  his  general  management,  has 
been  prosecuted  with  energy  and  success.  He  early 
manifested  an  interest  in  public  matters;  and,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years,  was  chosen  County  Clerk  of  Ot¬ 
tawa  County.  Two  years  later,  in  1850,  he  was  elected 
a  Representative  to  the  Michigan  Legislature,  to  serve 
a  term  of  two  years.  In  1856  he  was  elected  State 
Senator  for  two  years.  For  eight  years,  he  was  an 
active  member  of  the  Republican  State  Committee.  He 
was  a  delegate-at-large  and  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents 
of  the  National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in 
i860,  which  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln.  In  1863  he 
was  appointed  Commissioner  for  Michigan  of  the  Sol¬ 
diers’  National  Cemetery  at  Gettysburg.  In  1864  he  was 
elected  a  Representative  to  the  Thirty-ninth  Congress, 
and  was  re-elected,  successively,  to  the  Fortieth,  Forty- 
first,  and  Forty-second  Congresses,  serving  upon  some 
of  the  most  important  committees.  In  January,  1871, 
after  an  exciting  contest,  he  was  elected  United  States 
Senator  for  a  term  of  six  years.  He  consequently  sur¬ 
rendered  his  place  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  Forty-second  Congress,  and  took  his  seat  in  the 
Senate,  March  4,  1871.  His  services  of  six  years  in  the 
House,  and  the  legislative  experience  there  obtained, 
were  recognized  when  he  entered  the  Senate;  he  was 
chosen  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Revision  of 
Rules;  afterwards,  was  repeatedly  elected  President, /rt? 
tempo7'e,  of  the  Senate;  and,  by  virtue  of  this  office. 


H9 

upon  the  death  of  Vice-President  Wilson,  became  acting 
Vice-President  of  the  United  States.  He  was  President 
of  the  joint  meeting  of  the  two  Houses  of  Congi'ess 
during  the  intensely  exciting  count  of  the  electoral 
votes,  resulting  in  the  choice  of  President  Hayes  and 
Vice-President  Wheeler.  In  this  position  he  acquitted 
himself  with  such  impartiality  and  ability  that  he  was 
re-elected,  March  4,  1877,  by  a  unanimous  vote.  Presi¬ 
dent,  pro  tempore,  of  the  Senate.  In  January,  1877,  he 
was  re-elected  United  States  Senator  to  serve  for  the  term 
of  six  years.  In  early  life,  he  acted  with  the  Whigs,  but 
joined  the  Republican  party  as  soon  as  it  was  organ¬ 
ized,  and  at  once  became  a  zealous  advocate  of  its 
principles.  In  every  Presidential  campaign  since  i860, 
he  has  canvassed  the  State  in  behalf  of  the  Republican 
candidate.  As  a  public  speaker,  his  power  lies  in  his 
earnest  language,  concise  statements,  and  sound  logic, 
without  any  attempt  at  eloquence  or  oratorical  display. 
His  course  in  Congress  has  met  with  the  general  appro¬ 
bation  of  people  of  all  parties  in  Michigan.  He  has 
done  much  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  native  State. 
To  his  efforts  Michigan  is  greatly  indebted  for  the  gen¬ 
erous  river  and  harbor  improvements  which  have  so 
materially  aided  in  developing  her  resources,  and  in 
preserving  the  lives  and  property  of  her  citizens.  It 
was  through  his  influence,  also,  that  the  beautiful  island 
of  Mackinac,  or  as  much  of  it  as  belongs  to  the  United 
States,  has  been  converted  into  a  national  park.  He 
has  also  labored  zealously  in  the  cause  of  the  soldiers 
and  sailors  of  Michigan,  who  participated  in  the  late 
civil  war.  His  speeches  on  finance  have  been  widely 
read,  and  are  highly  valued.  He  has  done  much  to 
perfect  the  postal  system ;  and  his  work  on  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Post-offices  and  Post-roads  has  elicited  the 
highest  praise  from  the  press  throughout  the  country. 
He  is  now  President,  p7-o  tempore,  of  the  Senate,  and  is 
presiding  in  the  absence  of  Vice-President  Wheeler. 
He  is  also  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Post-offices 
and  Post-roads,  and  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Finance,  and  that  on  Rules.  The  present  rules  of  the 
United  States  Senate,  adopted  by  that  body  under  his 
revision  and  report,  are  a  standing  tribute  to  his  ability 
as  a  parliamentarian.  To  promote  the  general  welfare 
has  been  the  aim  of  his  Congressional  life.  An  indefat¬ 
igable  worker,  courteous  and  upright,  his  career  reflects 
honor  alike  upon  his  State  and  country. 


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